Her Darkest Hour
by Mihkail
Summary: When Sakura finds herself held hostage by Itachi & Kisame, she struggles to understand why, and engages in an internal battle to remain the fiery, defiant kunoichi she needs to be to survive them, and protect her own teammates. M for violence, language, & [dark] sexual situations. ItaSaku, KisaSaku. [ON HIATUS]
1. The Chase

_**A/N:**__ I'm going to try to keep everyone's personality relatively IC, with some exceptions. I don't personally feel Itachi or Kisame would engage in any sort of sexual relations with the enemy (or perhaps anyone at all), so that's the main deviation here._

I warn you_, this story has nothing to do with romance. No one here falls in love, and as I would imagine an S-class criminal to behave, there isn't much in the way for compassion or friendship to emerge._

_Comments, suggestions, constructive criticism, and questions are all welcome and appreciated. Please let me know what you think._

* * *

She was reaching her limit. The dull, burning ache that spanned from her sweating calves up to her thighs was a continuous reminder of that, which had begun almost fifteen minutes ago, but was now quickly increasing in its intensity. The world had always been a big place, but it'd never seemed as big as it did tonight. When the trees became nearly infinite in their passing-a collage of endless midnight green and brown-and yet her legs were pulling her down, down into the earth, weighing heavier with each hurried thud of her sandals.

Normally she would be soaring through the branches, darting from one to the next, and at a faster pace than she was going now…but Sakura wasn't afforded that opportunity this time. She was lucky enough just to be running in the first place, but that stroke of luck by now was dwindling into a joke. Entertainment at her own expense, serving as a false hope of freedom and the return to her beloved home, Konoha, and the insufferable Kyuubi that she was always wanting to smack upside the head. Right now, all she wanted was to hug him for a solid five minutes or so, and perhaps buy him some ramen just to show that she appreciated him, despite how annoying he was at times. Yes…that's how desperate she was.

"So help me Kami..I will never yell at him again if I can just get out of here.." She muttered breathlessly to herself, as her bound wrists rested against her damp abdomen.

Deep down, she knew she wasn't going to get away with this. She knew he'd catch her. Without even a single kunai, or the hands to use them even if she possessed one, she was so far up shit creek it was laughable. So many things, big and small, she took for granted, and they were all coming back to haunt her now, at her most terrifying hour. But still she ran, and she would keep running until her joints snapped and her muscles tore and brought her to a face-planting halt...because she was Sakura, and she wouldn't be able to give up even if she wanted to.

Driven by the same willpower that, along with Naruto, had refused-and still refused-to give up on Sasuke. The same willpower that was always pushing her to be a stronger shinobi, and a better medic. It was also the same willpower that made her stand tall and unyielding even in the darkest of times…but this was different. There'd always been someone there with her in the past. There was always something else to protect, someone else to protect, and someone else to be protected by. There was always a team, friends, a goal, a mission…but this was pure, unraveling chaos. This was the type of scenario she had always been warned of in the past by her mentors, and had always mentally attempted to prepare herself for, yet secretly never imagined would actually come. Tonight, she was utterly alone. Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, Tsunade-sama…everyone she ever loved, trusted, and relied on was kilometers away, and she was racing through a forest blackened by a canopy of leaves from an S-class criminal.

This was not supposed to be a part of her mission. In fact, her mission hadn't included encountering any criminals whatsoever. It had been simply to retrieve some new, advanced medical supplies from an allied nation. Originally, she had cringed at the thought, convinced that it would be just another boring solo mission…but oh, how she had been wrong. So many times in the past she had been prepared and willing to battle the worst of the worst, but they chose now to run into her. Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame.

Hours earlier, with the sun inching lower in the sky, she had merely been walking along the dusty road, lost in thought with a warm breeze rustling her soft pink hair and the sounds of chirping birds lulling her into a dangerously false sense of security. She hadn't even glimpsed a blur of their trademark black and red coats before shit hit the fan. They had ambushed her in broad daylight before she even knew they were there. Embarrassing, but not terribly surprising. They were the Akatsuki, after all. One should expect no less from them. They would have been formidable enough even if she had been with her team. Without any backup, running or hiding really was the only option...and obviously, she had failed at both.

A frustrated, yet determined growl lost itself in the cool night air as she continued to sprint, praying ceaselessly that she would not trip over an unseen rock or root as she searched blindly in the near-black forest. The heaviness of her own legs wasn't something she was used to…but being stripped of her own chakra wasn't something she was used to, either. Granted, she wasn't entirely lacking, but she'd been left weak enough to feel useless.

She tried another futile tug at the softly glowing metal that bound her wrists together, serving as a faint, pale blue torch as she darted along. She honestly couldn't tell if it was reason she was lacking most of her chakra, or if something else was the culprit, but she was willing to bet the bindings were to blame.

A dab of crimson smeared into the forest floor with every frantic step she took as blood leaked from a gash on her ankle, stinging as much as it throbbed as beads of sweat mingled in wound that chafed against her sandal. Moments earlier, there had been the same metal binding around her ankles, glowing that dull blue. Samehada had taken care of that. But that's where her luck had run out. It was silent, save for her ragged breathing, but she knew this wouldn't be the end of her nightmare. She just knew…

Her mind was trained to keep going, to push until she physically collapsed, and to never look back…but she could feel the tug. She wanted to look back, and to confirm her own fear that he was right behind her. She knew he was. He had to be. He could move faster, without a doubt. He possessed every advantage she lacked. So what was he doing? Why was it taking so long for her to feel the blow? Why wasn't he there? Was he toying with her? Watching her, perhaps? Waiting to see how far she could go before he swooped in, cutting off her exit at the last possible second, just to be able to see the last flicker of hope die in her jade eyes? Sakura wouldn't put it past him. Kisame…he was such a bastard. Hate wasn't a strong enough word for him. He probably felt like such a big bad shark, circling the ocean's depths below its struggling, half-devoured prey that clamored to stay afloat, gasping for air.

If it'd been Itachi chasing her, it would have been over after the first step, but he was gone. He'd disappeared just after the sun had set, for reasons beyond her. He had simply left her alone with that blue, two-ton slab of muscle. Kisame didn't need any weapons. The sight of him alone was frightening enough. But throw in that chakra-hungry, monstrous sword of his—was it even truly a sword?—and she'd gladly choose a day of captivity with the silent, crimson-eyed companion of his.

And that was truly saying a lot, given her feelings for Itachi. In her mind, he was the sole reason Sasuke had been stolen away from her. Itachi had ruined the life of his little brother—the life of her first love and teammate. She wanted nothing more than to see him brought to justice. But right now, she'd sooner hug the cold, calculating Uchiha than spend another minute with his beast of a companion. But this day and night was not ruling in her favor.

Those frantic green eyes snapped up just in time to see the massive bandaged weapon swing straight for her face. He had emerged out of nowhere, right in front of her, and she dropped to the forest floor, sliding straight between his feet and past him. It had been a stupid, risky move, and she found herself a bit bewildered when her head had remained on her shoulders, but there hadn't been any other option. He'd moved so fast, and she couldn't even use her own hands. Behind her, a loud crack disturbed the silent, damp night as a tree had been demolished by the hungry, living blade…and she felt the splintered debris whisk by her. Too close. It was starting to feel as if she had just enough luck to prolong her own misery, and nothing more.

Sakura jumped back onto her feet and spun around to face him. Short, disheveled hair fanning out wildly, and flinging a few wood chips with it. This was it...she couldn't go any further. If he was going to splice her in two, she might as well face her death with a bit of courage. Turning and fleeing was pointless. Her knees shook in protest as she stood there, feeling as if she was trying to stand erect on jello, a few feet away from the man that had sealed her fate. What exactly her fate was, she didn't know...but she imagined it wasn't going to be very pleasant.

She stared at him expectantly, beads of sweat pooling in her hairline and creeping slowly down her face. Muscles burning, ankle stinging, wrists aching as she tested her bonds once more defiantly, she watched him turn to face her. Beady pearls locking onto her as the black shadow of his coat swished around his feet. Samehada hung from one clenched blue fist, tip jutting into the earth in front of him as those thin, vile lips peeled back to reveal a sickening, sharp-toothed grin.

"Why'd you stop?" His deep, amused voice struck her. "We were just getting to the fun part." Neither of them moved, feet planted firmly into to the ground as they analyzed each other, her eyes quivering with more intensity than his. This was ridiculous…he _was _playing with her. Sakura's jaw clenched as her frightened stare narrowed into a hateful glare.

"You asshole.." Her sharp whisper cut through the air back at him, and the shark calmly blinked. "WHY!" She shouted suddenly, the change in volume startling herself, though Kisame merely watched her. "I have _nothing_ you could possibly want!" Fists clenching into white-knuckled grips, her emotions were beginning to get the better of her, which was probably exactly what he wanted. She could sense all of this, and yet somehow found it impossible to stop the chain reaction.

"I'm not a Jinchuurikin! I'm not hunting you!" Sakura could feel the artery in her neck strain as she screamed. "I'm not even strong enough to join you! WHAT DO YOU _WANT_?" Though, even if she could actually fit the criteria to be an Akatsuki member, she'd never in a million years admit it. Attention from their kind was the last thing in the world she wanted.

Sakura barely had time to register the slight movement in his hand before Samehada was slashing towards her again. Feet springing her backwards through the air as she wailed, she landed poorly, gashed ankle twisting under her as she stumbled to the ground. Her head smacked into a tree trunk she had landed against, and before she had time to reopen her eyes after the impact, his foot slammed into her gut, pinning her there.

A choked squeak fell from her open mouth as her head fell forward. The blow made her want to vomit instantly, but she was physically incapable. It felt like her stomach had been crushed, along with her lungs, like deflated balloons. A string of saliva dangled from the corner of her mouth as she fought to inhale, failing miserably. The pressure increased slowly as his heel dug into her, inciting more alarmed squeaks and grunts..the only sounds she could muster. Just when she felt her ribs were about to snap under his weight, and cave into her own lungs, he paused.

Pained eyes cracking open, she stared up at the towering figure of blue, black and red framed in shadows. Those same sharp, gleaming teeth greeted her. "You're the one that chose to run, Pinky. You did this to yourself." His cold words filled her ears, followed by a deep chuckle. In the back of her swirling mind, bombarded with the pain she was in, she vaguely noted that he'd never answered her question of why she was their captive in the first place.

"I was expecting more, Haruno…is this really all you've got?" Her eyes closed, cringing in pain, fear and anger as she gritted her teeth, struggling to quell the rising panic as she was continually denied oxygen. She wanted to keep screaming at him, to curse at him, fling any insult the darkest corners of her mind could come up with, and to argue that her chakra was depleted and that her hands were bound, so it was hardly a fair fight…if a fight is even what it could be considered. But she couldn't give voice to any of it.

"Pitiful." Kisame concluded, that grin never fading as he stared down at her. "Let's try this again, mm? Using Samehada to break your bonds was clever, but another stunt like that, and that ankle of yours will be the least of your worries." Those unearthly eyes glanced briefly to her wounded ankle, now covered in bloody dirt. Finally, his foot parted from her, and Sakura released a loud groan of relief before sucking in as much air as her lungs could hold. And with her first breath of life, she used it to exhale a roar up at him, "FUCK YOU!"

_CRACK!_

Sakura's eyes snapped wide open as the blur of bandages streaked past her vision, and the tip of his massive sword imbedded itself into the bark a mere inch from the side of her head. The shielding coat of his parted open and billowed out as his knees bent, and in the next moment he was crouching over her, one leg on either side of her slumped form, angled knees barricading her in. A warm breath wafted down over her shocked features as she stared up at the Akatsuki member that was now uncomfortably, confusingly close to her.

"Bitch, I can see right through you." He whispered harshly to her, giving her a closer view of his jagged, glinting teeth than she had ever wanted. All the while, he seemed only more and more entertained by the whole ordeal, if not a bit excited. Although she didn't know much of the man from personal experience, an excited Kisame seemed like the worst possible repercussion for her. Any man that resembled a damn shark was not the type of man she wanted to get worked up, in any way shape or form. It was bad enough that he was nearly decapitating her while he was _calm._

"So stop trying to act tough. I'm willing to bet you've never been this terrified in your life." Sakura's lips were sealed shut, her eyes staying wide and alert, unable to break from her shock as she watched his every movement, every mere twitch like a hawk. Almost as if she half expected him to lunge at her with the intent to bite her face off at any given moment.

"Now then…" He began with a satisfied snort, taking her lack of response as regretful compliance. "You're going to get up and walk back to camp with me, got it? If you want to be a pain in the ass, let me know right now, so we can skip to the part where I make you a paraplegic." Their eye contact broke with the crackling sound of Samehada ripping free from the tree trunk, and gliding past her face as he stood back up. Reluctantly, Sakura climbed back to her shaky feet, and was given a shove in the direction he meant for her to start marching in.


	2. Forbidden Dreams

_There he stood…finally. The day she had been waiting for, for so very long. A warm breeze rustled along the wild grass, bright rays of light filtering through the patches of morning clouds. Pink flowers swayed slowly as they reached towards the infinite sky…waiting for the next shaft of light to hit them. Sakura blossoms. They shouldn't have been there on the ground, yet somehow, somewhere in the world, they were. It was so beautiful. Everything was perfect…but none of it could compare to him._

_The white robe that parted open down his chest had been shed, left to hang limply around his pale waist as the thick purple rope held everything in place. His midnight hair brushed over his face in the wind, obscuring his onyx eyes from her every so often. Sakura was nearly shaking in her anticipation. So many impatient days and nights, weeks...years, now, she had waited to see his face again. Somehow still so charming, hypnotizing even, while he stoically watched her. He was the only man—the only being—alive that had ever made her feel this way. He'd painted her as a complete, pathetic fool. Sometimes she had even silently agreed with him. But now…all her waiting had paid off. Here he was, right in front of her. _

_She knew the way she must have appeared…fists clenching and eyes watering as she stood there. Wanting nothing more than to break into a run and tackle him into the sweet-smelling earth. Punch him a couple dozen times maybe…and then kiss him a few dozen more. She couldn't, though. She couldn't do a damn thing. She was utterly paralyzed by her own conflicting emotions and uncertainty._

"_Sakura." His normally cold voice was a bit softer…softer than she had ever heard from him before, though there was still a note of steel lingering there. As if it was a struggle for him to be anything but unyielding. It was more than enough to make her muscles tense, however. Tense everywhere except her knees, which began quivering a little. "Where have you been?" Her shaky voice whispered back to him as she tried desperately to keep her composure. She couldn't be the weak one anymore. She had to get a grip on herself…even if this was Sasuke. No, _especially_ if this was Sasuke. She had to prove to him, to her, to the whole world that she was as strong mentally and emotionally as she was physically._

_But a single tear welled up and spilled, gliding slowly down her cheek. Damn. She was already losing the internal battle. Her jaw clenched slightly, angry with herself as she felt that at any moment she would break down and start sobbing in front of him._

_Then she froze, throat stilling the air in the middle of an inhale. Time itself ceased to exist as she felt him so close to her all of a sudden. Before she had the chance to blink, he had moved so fast she wondered if he had teleported. But there'd been no hand signs, no uttered words, he had simply reappeared close enough that she could feel the faint brush of his chest against hers. _

_Black bands of wispy, jagged hair tickled against her skin as the breeze collided them. The pools of his eyes captured her, and she found herself unable to move her lungs as the soft touch of his hand cupped her face, catching the tear as it smeared against his palm. "I'm sorry…" The gentle words puffed into her ear with a hot breath as he pulled her against him, arm wrapping around her waist. Her quivering knees gave out, and for half a second she felt gravity pulling her to the ground before he caught her. Grip tightening, he held her to him as she collapsed, weak arms clutching to his bare back as her eyes squeezed closed._

_The unimaginable was happening. Sasuke, the love of her life, the center of her universe, had her in his arms, and wasn't letting go. If she had pictured this event in her head, she would have thought she'd lose her mind. If nothing else in the world could make her shatter into an emotional crying mess, it should be this very moment. But she didn't cry. No, instead, she felt pure euphoria. Just knowing that he cared, even a little, was all she needed._

"_I have to do this. There is no other way." She heard his words reach her as she swirled into the darkness, feeling weightless as she hung there against him, lost in the warmth of his body, and feeling nothing else. _

"_But you don't have to do it alone." She heard herself nearly squeak then, keeping her eyes shut as if she feared it was the only way to make this last. _

_He didn't respond. Silence fell around them, as not even the sound of the shifting grass and chirping insects reached her ears. Quiet and black, but she could feel the heat. She had willed the very world to stop turning for them as she waited his response. Expecting him to insist that he needed to follow his path alone…needed to kill his brother with his own two hands…needed to abandon her and Naruto for reasons she couldn't begin to fathom or accept. But he didn't speak. _

_His breath continued to waft against her ear and down her neck, but she would hear nothing more from him. The hand that had been holding her around the waist spread and moved up, fanning over her spine between her shoulder blades. The other slipped over the curve of her hip, fingertips brushing under the hem of her shirt, and then traveling slowly up her skin beneath. _

_She was unable to move, nerves heightened as her eyes snapped her out of the darkness she had been hiding in to stare over the serene field beyond his bare shoulder. The breeze had stopped. The sound was still gone. All she could hear was his breath, slow and steady coming against her as the pads of his fingers squeezed lightly into her._

_Confused at first, but that confusion fell to shock as his lips, for the very first time, made contact with her. They moved softly as they began to explore the nape of her neck. Kissing, before a hot tongue darted out to taste her. Sakura's mouth fell open, but she found no words that could leave. His lips massaged their way up to her jawline, leaving a glistening, damp path in their wake. Her chest tightened as she felt her heartbeat pick up its pace._

_His eyes were in front of her again as he pulled back enough to lift his head and look at her. The black gems that had always been so cold and nearly lifeless contained something she had never seen before. "Sasuke…?" She breathed quietly, and was answered with his lips trapping hers in a hungry kiss. Instinctively, her eyes fluttered closed, and she felt gravity shift before the warm grass was suddenly at her back, and his chest was pinning her to the ground._

_Clinging to him still as one of her hands meshed into his hair on the back of his head, keeping him against her as his tongue broke past her lips and caressed into her own. The faintest moan vibrated from her throat, lost in the taste and sensation of him. Her knees arched up, cradling his hips as they nestled between her legs, and she felt the first sign of a thick bulge pressing eagerly at her concealed core_

_She was in heaven, so why did she feel so nervous and unsure now? Her heart was pounding, she could hear it thudding into her eardrums as a hot blush began creeping across her cheeks. He never stopped…locking her bottom lip in between his, teasing her with his tongue as it dipped in and lapped at hers. It was just so…fast and…unexpected. But she couldn't stop him. Even if she had wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to push him away, or even slow him down. All she could do was lay trapped beneath him as a brand new sensation churned to life inside her. Tingling up from the contact of his hips and into the pit of her abdomen. _

_Their lips parted, and he moved down her jaw and over the slope of her neck again, nipping and sucking this time. Her fingers curled into his hair, and a breathy moan encouraged him, before the prodding of his fingers returned to her belly. She felt herself shiver as he shifted off her, lifting himself enough to maneuver his hand down the front of her skirt, and the black shorts that were beneath._

_Eyelids, steadily growing heavier as he left her drunk on passion, widened in an instant as a sharp gasp left her. "S-..Sasuke!" A heavy breath followed as two of his fingers slipped their way between her folds, gliding and curling against a sensitive bundle of nerves that had never before been touched by a man. Her knees jerked in surprise, and she moaned again in desperation. Chest heaving under him as his fingertips stroked firmly, playing with the soft nub that rolled between them, and then plunged into her. _

"_Ahh!" She cried out, hips lifting and writhing against his hand as his palm spread over her mound, rubbing as his digits pumped into her. "Sasuke..! Please.." She panted as the weight of his chest disappeared, and she saw him rising above her in her blissful daze. She felt almost feverish as her hidden bundle of nerves throbbed into his hand._

_He stared down at her, looking strangely calm and confident while she laid there, overcome by his ministrations. His free hand moved to her chest, a glint of metal catching her eye, making her stiffen in a fleeting grip of fear, before the kunai streaked down her center. The fabric ripped with it, and parted to her sides, leaving only the white bindings around her chest for him to remove. Those were ripped through too, before she had a chance to speak. _

_As her breasts bounced free of their restraints, and his eyes moved over them, Sakura could hear traces of laughter. Faint…so faint she thought she was hearing things at first. Her lust-filled jade eyes couldn't look away from his, nearly shaking as he descended slowly, and passed a slippery tongue over her nipple. She gave a soft noise of approval, murmuring his name once more…only to hear that laughter again. It was louder this time. Louder, and distinctly familiar. Her back had been arching up, pressing the swell of her breast into him as he suckled, hand continuing to tease and test the clenching, soft sheath they explored, until _his _face flashed before her._

_Kisame, teeth razor sharp and glinting in the light. Checks bulging up in a sinister laugh. Sakura bolted up, throwing Sasuke off of her as she looked around frantically. The fields were barren, save for the two of them. But he was there...he had to be. That was his laugh. _

"_No!" She blurted, searching relentlessly for him. He was hiding out there. She could feel his presence. "Shhh…" Sasuke hushed her, cool and collected as his hand pushed her back down into the grass. The hand than toyed between her legs found a switch inside her, forcing a gasp from her, and instantly causing her legs to tighten around him. _

_The laughter grew louder then, and Sakura could swear that the Akatsuki criminal was right next to her. Her pleasure turned to panic as the image of Samehada flashed in her mind then, just as disturbing and frightening as the shark-man's face._

Another gasp broke into the cool night air as Sakura's eyes snapped open. Darkness greeted her at first as she stared up into the night sky, bewildered. It took a moment for her senses to collect, offering her the data of her immediate surroundings. There it was…the laughter. Clear and jagged in its nature as it reached her from somewhere close by. The flickering of orange firelight warmed her side as the kunoichi lay frozen in suspense and confusion.

There was a hand between her legs, sticky and wet from her arousal, and her heart was indeed pounding. After a few seconds, she wriggled free of her paralyzed state to lift her head. The sight that befell her left a cold, slithering sensation to grip her spine and work its way up. Her own hands, bound in metal that glowed a dull blue, were stuffed down between her legs. Kisame sat a few feet away, cackling so hard he looked as if he was about to cry. As the cold snake of dread overcame her, the burning hot blush of her cheeks dominated her face at the same time.

She was here…with them… Everything had only been a dream. A cruel, cruel dream, that was now serving only as, hands down, the most humiliating experience of her entire life. Sakura stared in horror and disbelief as the cloaked S-class criminal finally fell backwards, clutching his gut as he literally shook in amusement…unable to stop himself from laughing at her as she was left without words to speak. Then, the slight movement of another figure snagged her attention.

Her head whipped quickly to the left, and the horror that had slapped her in the face seconds ago annihilated her now as she stared at the raven-haired Uchiha that was seated on the other side of the fire, cold black eyes lost in the twisting flames in front of him. Itachi.

"I c-..I can't…I c-…..I can't breathe!" Kisame roared between ragged inhales as he was sprawled out on the ground a few feet from her. The first tremor shook her then as the unbearable reality that she wished more than anything to be a farce, sank deeper and deeper into her, shredding with it any lingering sense of pride, courage, honor, and modesty she thought she possessed.

"I lost-…I lost track..!" The blue man struggled, each word like a dagger into her ear as she was forced to endure the beginning of his torment.

"How many t-…times..!"

Sakura found herself unable to look away from the Uchiha that was positioned across from her, although he hadn't so much as glanced in her direction, or uttered a single noise of life.

"You screamed…SASUKE!"

The name pierced straight through her as he mocked her in a disgusting girly voice, causing her to cringe as she closed her eyes. They had heard her. Every last word—or rather sound..and name—that she had made while lost in her dream. Briefly, the thought of throwing herself onto the tip of Samehada crossed her mind, desperate in its desire to escape the hell she had just awoken into…but that would never happen.

Still too shocked to say a thing, Sakura slowly pulled her bound hands out from between her legs, and clenched them into tight fists. This, by far, was the single worst night of her life. Held captive by the Akatsuki, with no hope of returning home, as far as she knew…and now she was having wet dreams about Sasuke, who had always acted like he hated her, while laying right next to his older brother, who he hated more than anything. What in the world had she done to deserve this torture…

She couldn't think of a reason to reopen her eyes. It made no sense to. She couldn't stand the thought of spending one more second watching Kisame roll in the grass as he fought to regain control of himself, still laughing as if he'd witnessed nothing more hilarious than what she had just done.

But she cracked her eyelids open nonetheless…only to see a pair of hypnotic red eyes boring into her. She felt her stomach clench as she stared back at him, unable to tear her gaze away as soon as Itachi's newly awakened sharingan locked with her over the licking flames of the fire.

There was not a single detectable emotion on his face, hid partially from the jutting collar of the black coat. Black hair swished lightly across his intense stare, reminding her so much of Sasuke in the limited time she could keep him within her sight. But that stare of his... It could have just been her own fear of him that was playing tricks on her, but she could have sworn there was something there. A glimpse, perhaps, past the shield that he kept descended around him as an impenetrable fortress to his very soul, shrouded in secrecy from the outside world.

It was the flicker of a fire, and not merely the reflection of the blazing, crackling light that was dancing over his gleaming red orbs. Whatever it was, it gave her goose bumps…but in the next instant, everything went black. No sound, no light, no feeling…just peaceful nothingness. A true escape she could be grateful for, as even Kisame's insane laughter disappeared in the background.

Freedom and safety.

At least, until the next morning would inevitably come.


	3. Pushing The Limit

**A/N: **_I've only had a handful of reviews so far, but it's been enough to keep me cranking out new chapters. Thank you for your comments. I do enjoy reading them._

_This chapter gets a bit intense (although it's a mere taste for what's to come), and is centered around Kisame and Sakura._

* * *

A sudden rough nudge threw Sakura onto her side, rousing her from her dreamless sleep as her eyes flew open and she attempted to brace herself with her tethered hands against the ground. The morning was cool and damp, sucking her out of her comforting abyss where she had felt nothing and knew nothing. "Rise and shine, princess." A voice from behind barked down at her, laced with mild amusement.

Her groggy, heavy eyes focused on the spikes of grass spread out before her, droplets of dew still clinging to them in the fog. It must have been early, as she felt the absence of the sunlight, though it was bright enough to see relatively clearly.

"Breakfast is ready. I suggest you move your ass now, unless you like cold fish." Sakura grunted quietly in response, head turning to look over her shoulder at the man who had the gall to call her princess. He seemed to think it was funny, judging by the look on his face as his narrowed eyes stared down at her.

Her pink hair was tangled with patches of mud, twigs, and a few pieces of cracked, dry leaves wedged in her strands. Smudges of dirt, highlighted by the sweat that had dried on her face the previous night. Her clothes were a mess, skirt and shirt twisted around a bit, and her injured ankle was still clogged with dehydrated blood and mud.

When he turned and walked away, her eyes lowered in their exhausted daze to her foot. A dull throb reminded her of her predicament. That gash really needed to be cleaned and healed, or it was going to cause problems soon. Then she glanced to her useless hands, and an icy jab struck her in the gut as the floodgates opened, and last night's memories washed over her in a cold, merciless bath.

That's right… That's why she hadn't dreamt of anything. Itachi had used his sharingan on her after she had woken up to the sound of that wretched laughter. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, not wanting to move. Of all the times she could have had a dream like that, it had happened last night. She would have given anything to erase that moment, if even from just her own mind, and no one else's. The embarrassment coiled around her so thickly it was almost tangible, and she loathed it beyond comprehension.

"Kunoichi!" It cut through the air, causing her to jump a little as she turned and looked at the impatient Kisame, who was standing on the other side of the crackling fire. "You gonna eat this or what?"

Sakura's shoulders stiffened as she begrudgingly pushed herself to her feet, wincing suddenly as her foot gave an abrupt jolt of pain. Pausing, she shifted most of her weight to her other leg, and took her time walking over to where her breakfast had been left for her. Fish… There was a lake nearby, then? She hadn't seen it yet.

She took a seat on the ground close to the fire, being careful with the way she moved her foot, and stretched it out in front of her with her other leg bent inward. Granted, she had only just woken up, but she was silently grateful that her captive hadn't uttered a word of what had happened last night. If she had any luck left at all, he would leave it well alone. Considering the recent sequence of events however…that seemed unlikely.

"Where's Itachi?" Her first words were spoken plainly, sounding genuinely indifferent as she gave a bored stare down at her food. She was probably better off not saying a damn thing, ever, unless it was absolutely necessary, but she couldn't stop herself. Staying mute just wasn't natural for her.

"Why do you care?" Kisame snorted, giving her his full attention as those ghostly eyes slipped over her. He was seated a few feet away from her, another thing she was grateful for…even if she preferred that he be kilometers away, and six feet under. It was better than nothing. Sakura was quickly learning to appreciate the simple graces that had been given to her at this point.

"I _don't_ care." She answered him evenly, taking her first bite of food, and chewing it slowly, acting as if she was far less hungry than she actually was. Downcast eyes stared off into space, refusing to acknowledge the blue abomination she was forced to share her space with.

"If you didn't care, you wouldn't have asked."

A twitch of annoyance betrayed her calm features at hearing this…because it was true. But as she opened her mouth to explain she only wanted to know what the hell they were going to do with her, his first round of ammo struck her.

"He looks like Sasuke, doesn't he?"

She could feel it in his voice. Feel him reliving the memories of what she done only hours ago. Her jaw tensed as the lump of warm fish was trapped in the pocket of her cheek, and she said nothing as she continued to stare down.

_Be calm…be still…don't feed the fire…_ she chanted inwardly, cursing herself as she knew it wouldn't take much to get a reaction from her. She was well aware of how easy it was to set her off. Naruto reminded her of this flaw time and time again. One moment she was fine, the next she was off like a rocket, if someone did or said the wrong thing.

The tension building between them exploded when she caught his lips parting in the corner of her vision, revealing a pearly grin, and the mirth that came with it as the first sound of a chuckle reached her.

"Fuck you, fish face!" She snapped, jumping up to her feet as her food went flying off her lap. She was so angry she didn't even mind the throbbing protest of pain in her foot as she spun around and stormed off, submerging herself in the chilly morning air as she left the comfort of the fire. What made it so much worse was the fact that she had no one to blame but herself, and she knew that.

A few yards in to her journey, a journey that really had no destination, for she didn't even know where the hell she was anymore-and she couldn't run from him with her hands bound, as she had learned yesterday-she was halted. To no surprise, of course, Kisame had intersected her as she put one more foot down, only to knock into his chest.

"You're not going anywhere." He said flatly, smile gone, though his eyes still spoke volumes as he watched her from his towering height. Sakura bit her tongue into silence as she took a couple steps backwards to put a bit of distance between them, and glared up at the man as she took a moment to calm the fire that was raging inside.

"I know." Growling back up at him, she waited for his next move or word, unaware that her knees had bent and feet had parted and angled in such a way that she appeared as if she was ready to fight him right then and there…though the notion was ridiculous. He seemed to notice this as his eyes wandered downward, and a lingered around the ground. She just kept watching him, refusing to make a move in the direction of their camp, the only form of defiance she could really get away with for the time being.

"Your ankle is infected." Came his calm statement, completely ignoring the anger and bottled violence that she was all but screaming at him with her very body language, as immobile as it was.

"Yeah. I could heal it if I had _hands _that I could use." She growled some more, unsure of why she hadn't moved yet.

Those white eyes glanced back up to her, devoid of emotion, strangely enough, and it caught her off guard a little. Having been expecting him to keep laughing, maybe give her a shove backwards to make her start walking to the campfire, throw a couple scathing remarks or threats her way, she didn't even flinch when he drew closer to her.

The hair rose on the back of her neck as with every step he took, he seemed to grow taller and more menacing, but she merely tilted her head back slightly to meet him, never straying from his gaze, until he bent forward and she saw his face drift uncomfortably close to hers, and then past it. He was close enough for his scent to drown out everything around her. The scent of…man….quite plainly. The faintest hint of dried sweat and the scent of his hair, spiked up in that dark blue shark fin, mixed with wet earth and something…else. Something she had never smelled before. Something a bit…musky?

The scowl on her face softened without her realization, briefly lost in curiosity as she sought to pinpoint what that scent was, and nearly forgetting for a second that his mouth was centimeters from her ear.

"I bet you could do a lot of things if your hands weren't bound, _Sakura_." The sound of his voice, suddenly so close to her, and so deep and gruff in nature, brought her back to reality. Confused at first, but then that unforgivable scene flashed before her as she recalled at one point in time lifting her head, and finding her hands stuffed down the front of her skirt in the dead of night.

Fury. Blinding, crippling fury was all she knew as her limbs moved for her without her consent. Her joined fists shot into his chest, separating them with the assault as she jumped back through the air and landed flat on her feet. He had wobbled a step or two backwards, but he might as well have been a solid pillar as he stood there in virtually the same spot, eyes narrowed and knees bent as he looked up at her in her new position. A generous amount of space divided them, but she knew how fast that space could disappear if he willed it.

A trickle of adrenaline entered her bloodstream. She couldn't tell if she was angrier at him or at herself for being so helpless.

"You would make a terrible ANBU." He chuckled, eyes retaining enough harshness to keep her on edge as she watched him. "Wearing your emotions on your sleeve… You _ask_ to be tormented."

"I'll remember that the next time I submit my application." She shot back at him sarcastically, teeth gritting as her chest rose and fell dramatically, eyeing him skeptically as he moved in her direction. His pace was slow and deliberate, and she remained fixed as he began to pass her, aiming, she assumed, to reclaim his seat by the fire and continue eating.

But he stopped. Their shoulders nearly touching, and as she faced the dark forest while he faced the glimmering light at her back, he inhaled slowly. Sakura, keeping him in the corner of her sight, waited clueless.

"…You need a bath." He murmured, tone dropping lower than she was used to hearing from him.

A roll of her eyes was her only reply. Of course she needed a bath. Way to state the obvious.

Little did she know, it wasn't the mud that had wafted its way offensively to his nose. It was something else he had caught wind of, something that had been previously missed. The scent, similar in nature to what she had sensed from him when he had bent close to her face, but different. Hers was stronger, easier to locate, and decidedly feminine.

She never saw where his eyes moved as they darted down her side and found her hands, hanging in front of her hips unsuspectingly.

"…_What_…?" She asked him suspiciously, turning her head slightly to stare him down.

His eyes flew up to meet hers, and when they made contact again, she felt that same prickling feeling at the back of her neck. This time, she wasn't looking into the eyes of the man that loved to tease and bully her into madness, she was looking into the eyes of a predator. The fact that he said nothing made it even more nerve-wracking as she stood there motionless. A little voice in the back of her mind whispered for her to run, while another begged her to stay put. Bolting from a predator only drove them to chase.

Slowly, she felt her feet moving of their own accord, backing her away from him as a new gush of adrenaline began to make her antsy and jumpy.

She caught the glimpse of his movement too late, as she turned to run right as he lashed out to grab her, striking with the speed of a coiled serpent.

She let out a panicked shriek, only to find herself flung over his broad shoulder a second later, and to see the ground bobbing and trailing along as he started walking.

"What are you doing?!" She wailed at him, feet kicking as she tried to wiggle off him, only to have the hand that was holding the back of her thighs against his shoulder and chest tighten, followed by a hard slap of his other hand as it struck across her rear.

"_Stop_." He commanded shortly as she yelped, face turning pink as she fought the urge to start beating against the cloaked back that she was hanging upside down on.

"You bastard! Put me DOWN!" She screamed into the early morning air, startling a flock of resting birds into flight as she saw the columns of dark wood creep into her peripheral. They were entering the forest. Why?

He didn't answer her as he kept walking. Sakura's heart clamored in her ribcage, fearing the worst and wanting to cry and lash out at him with every ounce of strength she had left.

One last attempt to throw herself off his shoulder ground her complaints to a halt when she felt the hand across her thighs slide upward, rigid fingertips crawling over the slope of her ass and gripping firmly in warning. "Sakura…"

She fell limp, instantly afraid to move one more inch as his hand remained there threateningly. She felt an invisible cord wrap itself around her throat, choking off her voice box and submitting her to silent defeat as her mind raced.

It wasn't long before she saw the grass below her give way to rocks and pebbles jutting up from mud, and a soft, pathetic whimper further proved her lack of confidence as he stopped suddenly.

"Clothes. Off or on?" He asked crudely, and her eyes shot wide.

"Wh-…what?" She squeaked, only to be tossed abruptly from his shoulder and through the air.

"On." He decided for her she plunged into the cold water of the lake he had fished from earlier that morning. She disappeared below the surface briefly before splashing back up into sight, a loud gasp greeting the air. The water was freezing.

"Ahhhh! I HATE YOU!" She wailed at him as he stood there, staring without remorse down at her.

"Clean yourself." He snapped, only to have her shout back at him, lost in the same emotions he had already criticized her for earlier.

"With _what_?! Do you have any SOAP?!" She bitched, shivering violently as the vast drop in temperature shocked her nerves. "I'm just gonna smell like LAKE WATER you fucking idiot!" She heaved, making it quite apparent that she was getting rattled to the core by the roller coaster of events she had been flung into beginning the previous evening. This was just the cherry on the vile, rotting sundae that had been handed to her, as not long ago she had imagined that she was about to get raped.

"Better than what you smell like now." He countered calmly, and then moved from the water's edge and back into the forest.

"Don't take too long…and don't run. You won't like it if I have to catch you again." He called back to her as he disappeared from sight. She could only assume he was heading back to camp.

"No way….no fucking way…" Sakura seethed to herself through clenched teeth, shuddering uncontrollably as she swam with her awkward hands to the rocky bank. Her wrists were starting to ache in their confinement, but she pushed the feeling aside, along with her ankle, as she climbed back to her feet and stalked after the black and red coat that wandered through the trees ahead of her. She couldn't remember the last time she was this cold as goose bumps came in waves over her arms and legs, and it only served to fuel her rage.

Once she passed the first of the few ancient, moss-covered trees, she saw him emerge from the wilderness of shadowed green and brown. She thought she found his first sign of true anger in his beady eyes as he stared at her, stopping in his path and blocking hers at the same time, but she didn't care.

Sakura stood there, dripping from head to toe and grower colder by the second, yet still smeared with mud and debris.

"If you insist." Kisame gave his final warning as he stalked towards her.

"I am NOT taking a 'bath' in that—!" She was cut off as he swept her off her feet and made his second round to the bank of the lake, cradling uncooperative, wiggling form in his arms. She clamored to release herself from his grip to no avail, anticipating the cold splash of water to surround her again after he would toss her back into its depths…but it didn't come this time.

Sakura stared curiously down at the water as it failed to draw any nearer. Then, to her horror, she felt him drop her grip the bottom of her shirt to tug it upward.

"Kyahh!" She yelled and thrashed, only assisting him as he wrestled it over her head and ripped it down her arms, literally, as a faint tearing sound filtered to her ears before it was tossed aside.

"STOP!" A violent shove attempted to throw him off of her, but his iron grip took her by the arm and twirled her around, a wet smack haunting the still air as she felt his coat billow out and his bare chest thrust against her soaked back. One of his hands held her bound ones snug against her chest, while the other snagged at the front of her skirt.

He held her there for a moment, frozen in time, as if he wanted her to drink in the magnitude of what she was getting herself into. Breath hitching in her throat, she twitched as the first touch of his fingers dug into the rim of her skirt and pulled it down over her hips, achingly slow as her heart pounded.

She found herself sinking back against his chest, trying to get away from his hand as it tugged lower still, until she felt a cold draft wisp between her thighs. Her eyes squeezed closed, a terrified, strangled noise responding to the wet plop of her garments dropping to the rocky mud below.

The thin fabric of her white panties and the binding around her chest was all the concealed her from him then.

"…Are you going to cooperate?" A whisper toyed along the shell of her ear, his free hand now resting low on her belly, burning hot against her cold skin.

A brisk nod answered him, shaking harder than it needed to, and emphasizing her desperation.

"Then shut up, get in there, and clean yourself."

He didn't have to tell her a third time as she dove forward, pushing past his hands and clamoring into the frigid lake water, dunking herself below the placid surface, wanting only to hide her vulnerable form from him as long as she could.

Kisame stood idly at the bank, staring mutely at the faintly bubbling surface as ripples fanned out in all directions from her impact. Then, slowly, he turned and melted back into the shrouded forest.

She didn't know how long she had remained out there by herself. All she did know was that she never wanted to come out again. The dirt and grime had been washed away a long time ago, right after he had left her there to her own devices, but she did not leave the lake. It was the safest place she thought she could be.

The sun was higher in the sky, its first rays trickling past the horizon of leaves and beaming down into the murky, lifeless water of the lake's shoreline. She was huddled in a ball, butt planted in the velvety mud as the water lapped gently around her. Cold…still very cold as she shuddered every so often…but she didn't want to move.

Her clothes, still soaked and painted with mud lay in a tattered heap a few feet up from the water's edge. She possessed nothing beyond that red shirt, tan skirt and black shorts. Nothing, save for her sandals, which she was still wearing as she sat there.

"Are you done?" His voice reappeared far sooner than she wanted it to, assaulting her ears as if he had shouted the words, though his tone was as calm as ever.

Her back flinched slightly, and her arms wrapped more snugly around her knees that were brought to her chest. She gave him no response.

"Sakura..." He said her name bluntly, and she bit her bottom lip. She hated hearing her name fall from his mouth…which she bet he already knew.

When she heard the first smack of mud as he stepped towards her, she shot from her seated position on the bank, and further into the lake, twisting around to stare back at him with wide, anxious eyes.

"No! I'm…I'm not done…!" She yelled, trying to sound like her typical confident, sassy self, only to hear her own words betray her as they held an air of timid weakness instead.

"I think you are." Kisame was at the water's edge, arms crossed over the stripe of pale blue chest that peaked out from between the flaps of his coat. The stripe drew her eyes to it momentarily, before she looked away quickly in embarrassment.

"No..not yet. Just….a little while longer." Again, meaning to sound like a statement he couldn't argue with, and yet to her frustration it merely cemented her apparent uncertainty and fear.

Kisame observed her closely as she sank beneath the surface, as if she thought it would finalize the decision, and make him leave her alone. How very misguided she was… Poor girl. She really did know how to do and say all the wrong things, and only worsen her fate.

It was peaceful down there, in the middle of the dark, vacant abyss. No fish were visible, as she imagined them to have dispersed a safe distance away from her the moment she had first entered their habitat. He would leave now…or wait…she didn't know. But he wouldn't come in after her. It would be too much of a hassle.

A minute or so later, she forced herself to peak her head back up, taking a fresh breath of air as she searched the landscape for the being that was quickly becoming her worst enemy. As she had hoped, he was nowhere to be seen.

A soft sigh was released from its suspenseful captivity as a thick ripple of water broke against her shoulder from an unknown and ignored source.

She needed this…despite it still being unpleasantly cold, she could no longer think of a better place to be. And those clothes…

Zeroing in on the dirty heap of tan and red, she grunted lightly, knowing she would have to clean them off as best she could before she put them back on, and then hope that they dried quickly enough that she didn't shiver to death.

And that's when it caught her eye. The pile of black, red and blue that was draped over a boulder close to her own. An Akatsuki coat and a pair of pants.

She had only enough time to gasp in realization before he slammed into her from behind, seizing her and lunging her forward in the direction of the bank. Sakura's pale limbs kicked and punched at him as she was lifted out of the water, and promptly thrown down into the mud.

"DAMN YOU!" She cursed, rolling from her back onto her stomach so she could try to scramble up and over to her clothes, but he snatched her good ankle and yanked her down again.

Startled, she glanced over her shoulder, fear gripping her as firmly as his hands did, holding her in place as she was gliding back through the muddy water and beneath him, much to her dismay.

Her back was pinned by the weight of his chest as he fell over her, and the skin to skin contact stilled her movements. The dips and bulges of his defined muscles pressed into her smooth curves, beads of water streaking down her sides as her lungs huffed for air.

"That smell… It's gone." She heard him say from above her in wonder, her elbows sinking into the earth as his hands caged her in, one on either side of her waist.

"Wh-…what smell?" The question was nearly inaudible as her eyes glanced to him over her shoulder, shaking under his body. She would blame it on the cold, but they both knew that wasn't why she trembled this time.

"_Your_ smell, Sakura." He said matter-of-factly, leaving her eyes to travel over the organic surface she was smashed in as she tried to make sense of things. That's when she felt something brush along the thin, see-through fabric that covered the juncture of her legs.

Fingers clenching into the mud as she laid there, she was terrified of the man that was holding her down, and stroking so gently at the soft, virgin flesh between her legs.

"You always have to make things difficult." His mouth fell to her shoulder, a dark laugh falling from it as the pinpricks of his sharp teeth grazed her. "So bad at...listening…" A deep growl then, and she tensed as the numerous razors bit down slowly, at the threshold of breaking through her skin.

"I told you…you wouldn't like it if I had to catch you again. Or…maybe you will."

Sakura's trembling form shook more violently, afraid to move a muscle as the oval of pain in her shoulder prevented her from any further attempt at fleeing. "I didn't run from you!" She argued in a pleading, frail whisper, only to realize he couldn't care less, as a single finger slipped beneath her last line of defense and dove between her damp lips to stroke slowly over her clit.

"Yes, you did." He denied her flatly, smiling cruelly as his teeth parted from her shoulder, leaving a ring of purple dents to fade gradually into small red welts. His eyes watched her, gauging the look on her face as her mouth was left open in shock.

Legs slid beneath his hips as she tried to close off his access, only serving to trap him between her. The thin barrier was pushed aside as the rest of his hand sought to touch her, fingertips dancing along the crevice of her folds and circling that bundle of nerves.

"Kisame… Please…don't….." She could barely get the words out she was so scared. The first time she had ever been touched there by a man, and it was_ him_. Though there might be nothing she could do about that now, she had to at least keep him from going any further.

"Why?" He hummed curiously in her ear, fingers picking up their pace as he noted the faint twitching of her legs that struggled under his weight. "Because…I-…please…" She choked, sucking in her breath, sounding almost as though she was in pain as she fought to keep herself from moaning.

"You…what?" He egged her on, two digits slipping down the length of her mound that was heating all too quickly, and he felt her spasm around him as they plunged inside her tight entrance.

"Ahh!" She blurted, the image of Sasuke blinking into her vision as the dream that once plagued her was now the beginnings of an infinitely more wretched nightmare.

"You seemed to like this last night. Am I wrong?" He pulled his hand away and flipped her onto her back so he could look down into her eyes…her helpless, terror-stricken eyes that shot down the length of his nude body lying shamelessly over her, and then closed as she turned her head away. She could feel him coming to life against the inside of her leg, a dull throb and twitch of a hot member that tormented her and made her cringe.

"I'm begging you…" Her quiet peep delighted him. Amazing how fast she fell in line when he reminded her who had control. But honestly, he wasn't sure if he would be able to stop now. Why should he…? Someone had to teach the brat a lesson.

His lips fell to her neck just below her ear, and he kissed slowly. Pushing her further and testing the waters. Just like in her dream…and yet nothing at all like it was supposed to be.

"Mmm...there it is. That smell." He laughed again, and before she could open her eyes, he had lifted himself enough to grab her bound wrists and throw them high over her head. His breath flooded down her chest, ceasing when it passed over the wet bindings that hid her from him.

She turned her head to look at him, following his line of sight as he peered down at the band of white that was wrapped around her, tainted with blotches of brown mud. As his hand slid up the quivering slope of her abdomen and over one of the covered swells, a loud voice caused them both to freeze in shock.

"KISAME."

It boomed from the tree-line above their heads. Sakura tilted her head back to spot its owner, hanging upside-down—from her line of vision—as the raven-haired Uchiha stepped into the light. Kisame looked up as well, and simply gave a defeated laugh.

"Damn. I thought you'd be gone longer." He teased as the two Akatsuki members stared one another down. After a suffocating silence hovered around the three of them, Kisame finally withdrew his weight from his victim. Murmuring as he stood and sauntered past her, "You are one lucky bitch."

Itachi looked away from his naked and aroused companion as he moved to fetch his clothes, wandering past the pile of Sakura's rags.

Sakura crawled onto her knees and sat there, as if she didn't know what else to do, and dropped her hands into her lap. Shame. That was the only thing she knew as her shoulders shook and her downcast eyes fixated on her hands. She sensed his eyes on her, as black and indecipherable as they were, and it made her skin crawl…despite the fact that he had undeniably just saved her from Kisame.

Minutes felt like hours as they both waited for the beast-as she would refer to him now as-to finish dressing and wander into the forest without a word…testosterone practically leaking from his very pores.

When it was just the two of them, and not a sound was uttered, Sakura thought she would fall to pieces from the suspense alone.

"Put your clothes on." He ordered quietly, right before she about lost her mind, and she glanced up at Itachi just in time to see him turn and vanish into the trees after his partner, leaving her alone to pull herself together.

But instead of rising, she hunched down into a ball and let the first of many sobs to wrack her body. This couldn't continue… She had to find a way to escape.


	4. Hypnotic Red

**A/N:** _Alright. This chapter gets…interesting, towards the end. Itachi gets himself into a situation that I'm 99.9% positive would never, ever in a million years happen, based on his character. However, he is my favorite character, and I _have _to write this. So, forgive the blatant OOC-ness that unfolds, and I hope you enjoy._

* * *

The morning had ticked by into afternoon, and then early evening, with Sakura spending a painful amount of time doing absolutely nothing. In hindsight, she shouldn't have been so restless and impatient, as boredom and frustration was a far easier pill to swallow than the other unspeakable possibilities a captive could face. As grueling as her small amount of time had been with the two Akatsuki members, she did understand it could have gone so much worse for her…and it still could, if she wasn't careful.

It was just so hard sitting idly by while two murderous monsters dictated her fate, and made it all the more aggravating by refusing to divulge any of their reasoning to her. Well, to be honest, Kisame was the only one she had tried to get answers from so far, and look how well that turned out…

Ever since the morning's nerve-wracking events, Sakura had fallen mute, and tried to make herself as unappealing and uninteresting as possible to the both of them. Kisame, who she now viewed as a volatile, hormone-driven brute with no sense of decency or honor, was her biggest fear now. Every time he passed within ten feet of her, all of her focus went to him, yet she never looked up, never made eye contact, and never addressed him for any reason.

Itachi, who had been doing a fabulous job of acting like she didn't even exist, made her nervous in his own way. Still, it was difficult to pinpoint why, but she was beginning to realize that she feared him almost as much his aquatic partner. Ironic, considering he had never bothered her. Could it be because she never had a clue what he was thinking or feeling, if it was even possible for him to feel? Maybe.

Or maybe it was the pure shame that threatened to unravel her every time she thought about Sasuke or Kisame, and what'd he done to her hours ago. Yet…why should she feel shame? Neither had been something she could have controlled. They just…happened. And why should she care if Itachi judged her? Why would she even _think_ that he had enough of a heart to care about anything at all?

No…he had to care about some things. If he hadn't a care in the world, he wouldn't have shouted at Kisame when he had her splayed across the bank of the river.

So many unanswerable questions. Questions that were gradually dissolving her sanity, as she sat there close to the campfire that never died. Thinking was all she could do. Nothing else was permitted her.

Her clothes had completely dried over the hours she had spent huddled close to the flames, green eyes spacing out into the gleaming orange that flickered through the broken, ashy logs and sticks. They were still dirty, and now wrinkled, but they were dry, and for that she could be thankful.

Every so often she'd feel a pair of eyes drilling into her from somewhere. She never looked to see who it was, but she always assumed them to be Kisame's eyes. Watching, waiting for her to make another stupid move so he could pounce on her. Well, she wasn't going to give him the chance anymore. No matter what he did or said, she wouldn't feed into his game. This whole thing was a joke to him, and he loved seeing her wriggle like a trapped insect under a microscope.

It wasn't knowing that he was watching her that made her so uncomfortable, however. It was the feeling she was getting. As if his very chakra was invading her from several paces away, regardless of where he was. Here and there, she'd have to shut her eyes to concentrate on blotting out the sensation of him pressing her to the ground, and the contrasting feathery touch of his hand exploring between her legs.

That morning had left her a paranoid, shaking mess, but it had also done something else to her that was far worse, and she utterly despised it. He had left her to wallow with a dull, though persistent throb deep inside her. An itch she couldn't scratch that made her furious at him. The truth was there, screaming in her mind, though she would never admit it to anyone. The fact was that she had never been so aroused in her life, and now she was left to deal with the aftermath, and no way to remedy it.

Why wouldn't it go away? Why couldn't it just stop? It made no sense to her. Nothing did, anymore. She hated herself for it. It made her feel weaker, and even more ashamed, and truthfully she didn't know how much more of this humiliation she could take before she broke. To be beaten senselessly would have been a preferred fate over this. To be captured and tortured to death by ANBU would have been a more tolerable and honorable way to go. Not this…

The sun's rays had been smothered by the horizon of treetops by the time they had returned to the fire, their footsteps meandering around her, though she kept her trance-like stare at the blazing firelight that cast a neon glow over her short, messy pink hair. They had been talking out of earshot. Well, mostly out of earshot. Every once in a while she caught a word or two that was exchanged between them. Kisame was always easier to hear than Itachi, but none of the information that was leaked to her helped her understand the catastrophe they had dragged her into. At one point, she had glanced their way as the rustle of feathers stole her curiosity, only to see a raven bounce from Itachi's shoulder and soar up into the sky and out of sight.

A basket was dropped with a soft thud to the ground on one side of her. Sakura turned her head, staring with little interest at the parcel, until the scent of food reached her nose. This hadn't been there earlier…they must have brought it from somewhere. That meant they couldn't be too terribly far from civilization. That was a glimmer of hope for her…for she did plan on finding a way to escape, but she still hadn't figured out all the details yet.

A strange sensation tickled over her wrists just in time for a clear pop and tink of metal had her eyes snap down to her hands. A pale hand painted with dark nail polish pulled out of sight, leaving her to stare in blissful wonder at the confining shackles that had encircled her wrists, resting now lifelessly in her lap. Her skin was red and sore underneath, maybe even a little bruised, but they…they were free now?

"You need to heal your ankle." His explanation answered her before she could rouse herself from her confused state. The Uchiha circled around the fire and sat down, his own bundle of food in one hand. Kisame landed with a heavy thunk not far from her, and their positions created a perfect triangle around the fire.

"…You…you trust me without these?" She asked skeptically, though she didn't know why, as she flexed her fingers and rubbed her wrists.

"I trust you to value your own safety, kunoichi." Was his not-so-cryptic, stony reply as Itachi began unwrapping his dinner.

Sakura said nothing more as she registered the smirk inching its way up Kisame's face. She imagined he'd be the guard dog to fetch her if she _didn't _value her own safety. So that wasn't going to be a problem. Maybe if she played nice and continued to cooperate, they'd even let her keep the shackles off…though she no longer had enough hope to believe that would happen.

Her hands moved slowly to the basket beside her, bringing it into the cradle of her crossed legs so she could open it and eat, truly eat, real food for the first time since yesterday afternoon. That morning's breakfast hadn't lasted more than a single bite, as naturally, Kisame hadn't give her a second chance to get anything in her gut.

Yeah, she'd heal her ankle…but not before stuffing her face. Her growling stomach was a bit more obnoxious than her injury in the present.

The three of them ate silently amongst themselves, Itachi keeping his eyes down, Kisame doing the same, and Sakura….well, every once in a while she couldn't help but spare a glance in enemy number one's direction. But he wasn't her target. It was the long sword that was laying in the grass behind him, stretching longer than Sakura's own height.

Last night, before the initial chase has started, she had struck her own bound legs across its jagged surface, finding it capable of snapping the metal that had rendered her immobile. Fleeing hadn't done her an ounce of good, but she knew that it would work on her wrists as well, if she could just find the chance to make use of it. Kisame always kept it right next to him, if not attached to him. Of course, it would only be necessary if she was bound again after she finished healing herself, but it was still an option to consider. An option she could not ignore, for she was beginning to feel like it might be one of her very few opportunities.

She wouldn't even try to fight either of them, even one-on-one, and even if she had all of her chakra returned to her. That was one thing she wasn't stupid enough to do. All she needed was to be able to outrun them…theoretically. Run, and never stop, not until she reached the gates of Konoha. A shot in the dark, but it was better than accepting whatever fate they were weaving for her.

"Can you at least tell me why I'm here?" She asked quietly after a period of silence, hoping the Uchiha would offer her something…unlike Kisame.

"The Kyuubi." Itachi answered without missing a beat, and Sakura paused with a mouthful of rice.

"…Naruto?" She looked positively clueless as she stared wide-eyed at him from across the flames that separated them, just as they had done the previous night.

"He is loyal and determined by nature, and you are valuable to him." He explained simply, and Sakura looked down, feeling the weight of dread increase on her shoulders.

"You will never catch him." Eyes closing calmly as she gave a quiet voice to the rebelliousness that continued to hide inside her, daring to stick its neck out again and possibly get her in trouble, as it was so adept at doing.

"We won't have to. He will come to us." Itachi reasoned as if this were a mere business transaction, with her starring as the offer that couldn't be refused.

"No… No. He wouldn't risk so much for me. He knows better." Sakura felt her fists clamping, and she forced her last bite of food down roughly, losing her appetite almost instantly. Her eyes remained closed, as it truly was one of the few things that helped her calm down, if even a little.

"People do crazy things for the ones they love." The black, white and red figure across from her, wading in the drifting spikes of fire was unaffected, and yet his final words caused her eyes to crack open and look at him.

There it was again. That brief flicker of something slightly human on his face that she had sworn emerged sometimes. He hadn't moved his gaze from the food he was consuming, but she had seen the evidence. It was there, only for a second. And his words…she found that she couldn't disagree with them.

"Like masturbate in your sleep." Kisame chimed in out of the blue…further emphasis that was bound to hit the nail on the head for her.

Sakura felt a tangible, electric current of pure hate streak through her limbs as she fought to remain seated. There was nothing, absolutely nothing in the world she wanted more right then, in that moment, than to lunge at Kisame and strangle the life out of him as she repeatedly smashed the back of his head into the ground.

Directing a practiced stare into the earth, Sakura felt her jaw knotting into cramps as she sealed it shut. He wouldn't win this time. He wouldn't draw a reaction from her.

In her training, she missed the slight rigidness that had overcome Itachi's hands as they slowly closed the box of food and set it on the ground. His form, taller than her, yet shorter than Kisame, rose without a word and walked away from the fire.

His partner looked up, watching him meld into the waning light of the drowning sun, now hidden as a dark turquoise and blue glow was cast over their heads. "Was it something I said?" He called humorously after him, only to receive no response. Odd that the Uchiha would have given more to work with than Sakura, whom the comment had been directed to in the first place.

After a few minutes, Sakura heard a growl-like sigh come from the blue hulk of a man, and watched as he, too, abandoned the firelight to trail in the direction Itachi had gone…being sure to take Samehada with him, as if Sakura had any use for it now.

A bitter smirk crossed her features as she imagined he looked a bit like a scolded husband running after his housewife to beg forgiveness. About the only amusement she could find in the whole ordeal. If she only knew what the mounting tension between the three of them was bound to manifest into…

Alone again, she reopened her box of food and searched its content for any scraps left behind, willing herself to eat whatever she had, since she honestly didn't know when her next meal would be. If breakfast was going to be served by Kisame, there's no telling what would actually end up in her stomach after all was said and done. And that's when there was enough peace for her to recognize that steady pulse she felt, hidden away below her skirt.

It wasn't the easiest thing to describe. It was just…dominating in its presence. A switch had been turned on and she didn't know how to turn it back off, which was beginning to scare her a little. How had he done that to her? Kisame… He was disgusting. In fact, there was not one nice thing she could say about him if her life depended on it. And yet there she was, fighting off the first tormenting images of a fantasy her perverted mind was cooking up against her will, centered on that towering bag of muscle.

Thick muscle…without a trace of fatty tissue that she could find. Perfectly shaped, smooth and…

"Damnit!" She whispered to herself as a sharply creased brow brought her internal struggle and worry to the surface.

**BOOM!**

Sakura's head snapped up, searching for the deafening thunder that shook the very ground beneath her and cascaded over her like a shockwave. Out in the darkening field, she saw the two distant Akatsuki coats poised opposite one another, with a cloud of dust billowing out past Kisame. Itachi was skidding backwards, balance evenly placed with his feet spread apart and a defensive hand guarding his chest. The only weapon visible on his person was a small kunai, while Kisame's intimidating sword was angled out to the side.

They were sparring…? Now?

They must be, as Sakura registered the gleam under Kisame's pointed gill markings that meant he was grinning.

Itachi blinked out of sight, moving faster than Sakura's intent gaze could follow. But she didn't bother to wait and see where he would reappear, as her attention shifted to the ankle that needed tending. Might as well get it out of the way so she could focus on planning her escape. An escape that would have to be set in motion whenever she found herself alone with Kisame. He might have been terrifying, but it seemed like a surer bet than trying to outmaneuver the Uchiha. The last thing she wanted was to make him mad, and subsequently get caught in his genjutsu. She had heard tales of what he had done to Kakashi-sensei once with that technique.

The rest of the evening transpired uneventfully with the two men pulverizing the earth with their attacks on one another. Dents and gashes marred the field, chunks of uprooted plants, grass and rock, and patches of charred, crispy debris littered as far as the eye could see.

After she healed her wound, Sakura had lain down on her back to lose a longing stare into the brightening stars above, content to have her wrists free for a while as she steadily grew numb to the sounds of chaos echoing back to her.

She didn't know when she fell asleep. It hadn't been a goal of hers to drift off so early…but the previous night's sleep had been lacking enough that the moment her back had touched the ground, she was gradually lulled into the embrace of anti-reality.

* * *

_Everything was so vivid, Sakura found herself staring in curious amazement at the wall that divided her from the hidden leaf village. She found herself wondering how she had gotten there so quickly…how she had escaped Kisame and Itachi. But she wasn't home yet. The barrier that shielded the safety of her family and friends from her had somehow grown immensely tall. So tall that she couldn't see the end as she peered up its vast, vertical length, disappearing into the inky blackness of the night sky. The sky, she noticed, that had lost all of its stars._

"_Sakuraaa!" A faint voice called for her, and she stilled. It was Naruto's voice._

_Bolting to the right, she sprinted along the endless wall, leaping over bushes and dodging under the low branches of saplings. "Naruto! Over here!" She yelled, hoping she was running in the right direction as she tried to follow the sound of his voice, and look for the main gate at the same time._

"_I'm over HERE!" Again, desperation and excitement escalating her volume as twigs and leaves whipped over her bare legs. He wasn't answering her. Couldn't that knucklehead hear her? She had heard him._

_Then she stopped, an unseen force causing her to redirect her attention into the shadowy depths of the forest at her side. Turning, she pressed her back against the wall as if to brace herself, and stared out into the maze of wild Fire Country. Her land…the land that was supposed to keep a buffer between her and unknown dangers beyond…yet a familiar fear had begun to coil its way around her heart. A fear of something unseen watching her from the darkness._

"_Oh shit!" She hissed, and took off running again. They were out there. They had followed her, and they were going to take her back with them. That couldn't happen. Not when she was this close to the end…mere meters away from that damn ramen-loving blonde that had better wake the hell up and get his ass over to her with some backup._

"_Naruto!" She screamed louder, trying not to panic as the seconds grew into minutes without a response from him. This was bad… She couldn't find the entrance, either._

_Sliding to a stop again, her eyes widened as she stared at the aimless path she had been sprinting down, using the wall as her guide. It became a tunnel of black uncertainty, and she felt those eyes again. Closer and menacing in its intent.  
_

"_No…" She whimpered, hand gliding along the solid surface next to her as she started to back away, wanting to whirl around and run the opposite direction she had been going in, yet discovering she was too afraid to turn her back. He was there, right in front of her, and he could see her…but she couldn't see him. The man with the sharp teeth._

_A surge of terror welled up inside her, getting the best of her as she finally turned to run, only to slam into something hard and unyielding._

_Staggering backwards with a strangled cry, Sakura's glittering green orbs couldn't believe the sight that presented itself before her. Sasuke, in his loose white shirt and dark pants banded in a purple rope, staring calmly at her._

"_S-Sasuke?" Her exclamation could reach only a sharp whisper as she looked him up and down. "What are you…? No! RUN!" Another spike of fear bolted through her as her senses relayed the information of another being standing all too closely behind her. Her adrenaline sent her careening past him. Or, what she had hoped would send her careening past him…for he snatched her up in his arms and locked her in a steel grip._

_The ground slipped out from under her feet as she lost her balance, only to be swung unceremoniously through the air and thumped against the cool, grainy wall like a ragdoll. The look that met him conveyed the tidal wave of confusion that had crashed over her as Sasuke forced her in place, staring back with his trademark gaze that either made her weak in the knees or want to rip her hair out, depending on the circumstance._

"_You can't go back." There was no pleading, no…it was a statement as factual as if he had pointed out the obvious bubblegum pink of her hair, and left no room for debate on the subject._

"_What?" The strength returned to her voice as the adrenaline that had been denied physical movement remerged into her throat. Meanwhile, her eyes bounced this way and that over his shoulder, searching for the slightest movement in the dark. Waiting for that dreadful, smirking face to wade in from shadows behind her beloved, like she knew he would do at any second. He was there. He had to be. Nothing else would make her feel like a cornered animal about to be butchered._

"_No! Sasuke! He's _right here_! He'll kill us both!" She scrambled to push him off her, but only failed. Damn…when had he become so strong? So strong that not even the best of her ability could get him to cave an inch in her favor. Or was she truly _that_ weak?_

"_Stop right now." He countered, reasoning with her only the way a parent that knew better could reason with an out of control child._

_Sakura's movements stilled as she stared at him in awe and disbelief. She was about to punch him if he didn't start moving his ass. Her mouth gaped open to begin a rant, but he sank into her, silencing her before she could speak as his hands cupped her cheeks and he kissed her. A kiss that held far more heat and passion than his eyes ever did, as if it was impossible for him to show any emotions. Kind of like his brother…_

_An indistinguishable murmur of protest greeted him as he smothered her mouth, tangling her tongue with his as if he owned it. Granted, she'd always wished he did, but this wasn't the time!_

_Her palms pressed against his chest in an attempt to push him away, but he ignored her request, and instead squeezed her more tightly against the wall as he took another step forward. _

"_You can't go back to Konoha. I won't let you." His husky voice whispered as his lips ripped from hers to play along her ear. The combination of fear and desire mixed her into a stupor, and she felt as if she would pass out if this continued much longer._

_Her eyes aimed past him, exposed to the lethal shadows that she feared were drawing ever closer to them, and would soon swallow them both up._

"_Sasuke…" She moaned in a painful defeat, realizing that there was no way she could get away from him. "Please just listen to me! We're going to _die_! Don't you get it?"_

"_Say it… Say it again." He breathed into her ear, causing her brows to furrow in confusion._

"_..What?"_

"_Say my name… I love it when you say my name." _

_Hooking his hands under her thighs, he pushed her up the wall without warning, and held her with her legs wrapped around his waist. The same teasing bulge that she had felt the other night had returned, and ground roughly into the small hot bud between her nether lips.  
_

"_Sasuke!" She yelped, arms flailing over his back, fingers curling into the pristine, white shirt that shone like a beacon in the black night. Panting nervously as he trapped her earlobe between his lips and sucked, her felt her hips instinctively push back against him, wanting to feel more of him._

_Now she had really lost her marbles, as the notion of fight or flight had quickly begun to dwindle away into lust and the insatiable need for his touch, all over her, everywhere, inside her…_

"_Again…" He commanded softly, hot tongue rolling along her ear as his hips continued to grind into that throbbing little button._

"…_Sasuke…" Sakura felt her head swimming as a heavy dizziness overcame her, rising from the tingling that started at her core and vibrated its way along her spine and into her skull._

_He pulled away abruptly then, the pale blue shoulder drifting into her vision as a face striped with dark gills passed in front of her, letting his lips rub gently over hers before he nipped her bottom lip._

_Half a second later, Sakura sprang to life as Kisame's trademark features sounded the alarm in her nearly incoherent brain. A terrified shriek pierced the S-class criminal's ears, serving to do little more than excite him further as her seized control of her hands that sought to scratch at his face, and crush them against the wall. His hips kept her lower half lodged right where he wanted her, thighs draping over his toned ridges._

_Her shriek was muffled into a dull noise as something covered her mouth, quickly followed by the sudden inability to inhale as her nose was pinched shut._

_Sakura bucked and twisted, trying to free herself as he suffocated her, and she felt the burning in her lungs clamor for air as hot, salty tears welled up in her eyes._

Unable to wait any longer, her eyes flew open, jolting her back into the real world as she strained ceaselessly for fresh air. Upon her arrival, the hand that had been pinching her nose released, yet remained snugly over her mouth to keep her mute. It took a few seconds for her nerves to settle and recognize what was going on, but when she did, she was locked into a motionless, marble statue, weight thickening until she thought she might fall right through the earth and vanish forever, and actually, that's kind of what she hoped would happen to her in that moment.

Meticulously patterned, crimson eyes glared down at her like the finely sharpened edges of kunai. They pierced into her very soul, ripping it cleanly in two as she was caught in its paralyzing affect. Faintly, she could hear the crackling of the fire and chirping of nocturnal insects all around her, and her own breathing as it sucked in and whistled out through her nose at a hurried, exhausted pace.

Itachi was holding her down and rendering her speechless, with a look so intense she thought she might burst into the black flames of Amaterasu at any second. If he meant to suck her into a genjutsu, he would have already done so. Hell, she might be in one already. There was no point in closing her eyes now.

The faded, tired-looking lines that were always drawn down his cheeks from his eyes were crinkled by the slight snarl he was giving her. His face painted the perfect picture of inevitable destruction, and could have been enough in itself to usher her into cooperating with anything he demanded. And the sad thing was that she really had no idea just how rare the event was that she was witnessing.

Itachi, the man responsible for the massacre of his entire clan in an hour tops…the cold, calculating criminal that was keeping his baby brother alive just long enough to take what he wanted from him…the man who never smiled, laughed, frowned, cried, or showed anything but stone…was unleashing a fury of emotion right before her eyes.

"Get up." He hissed quietly.

Sakura obeyed, realizing as she clumsily, shakily drew herself up, that her hands had not been returned to their restraints yet.

She spared a quick glance past him to see Kisame sound asleep on the ground feet away, lips parted open slightly as he took a deep, soundless breath.

"Move." The single syllable was felt on her very skin as she jumped and stumbled away from their camp, more confused and full of dread than she had ever been as his figure loomed after her.

"Wh-…what-…w-what are w-we..?" She stuttered, so unlike herself, as she took step after step away from the comforting light, falling under the shadow of Itachi as he traced after her.

A white hand lifted from the concealing sleeve of black, taking her by one shoulder and turning her around to face that same, foreboding black forest that she had narrowly escape in her recent nightmare. If only this were another nightmare…something she could wake up from…

Her insides felt cold and slippery, nausea building as she was guided into the trees and masked in black, a firm grip pushing her deeper and deeper into the unknown. He didn't let her stop until the campfire was little more than a twinkle of orange and gold in the distance, like a hyperactive firefly blinking through the leaves that surrounded them.

She felt her shoulder being pulled back, forcing her to turn around in the process to see only the hovering pale image of his face, and the glint of red eyes that bore into her through the strands of his dark hair. She nearly tripped over a root as he nudged her back against a tree, and Sakura's thighs turned to jello for the second time.

"I-..I-…..I'm s-sorry.. I'm so s-sorry..!" She began, choking out an exasperated, desperate laugh as she lost control of her own voice and started shaking. This very event was what she'd been trying to avoid. Angering him, in any way shape or form, because she had always felt deep down that as quiet and collected as he was, he could make Kisame look like a goldfish if he wanted to.

In actuality, she didn't know what she was apologizing for. She didn't know what she had done to cause him to snap, but it didn't matter. Somewhere along the way, she had fucked up, regardless of how hard she'd tried to stay under his radar.

"Please…ple-" She swallowed, shutting her eyes in a pause, hoping that if she broke contact with his sharingan she'd be able to settle down a little. Her hands curled up protectively to her chest, resting over her thudding heart.

"I didn't-…I didn't mean t-…I'm s—"

"Sasuke."

Her watery eyes cracked up to stare at him, a lump solidifying in her throat.

Oh…he had heard her again, hadn't he? Is that was this was about? Was she really so loud in her sleep?

"Are you close to him? Or do you just wish you were?"

Those fearful slivers widened into doe eyes. Somehow, he had sunk a blade through her chest by using only the weapon of his voice. It was a mere word-a name-but it was enough to tangle her insides into an agonizing mess.

And yet, the way he was watching her, it was as if he had given her a simple question that he wanted a genuine answer to...and hadn't intended to merely hurt her with it.

"I-…I-…uhm…I don't…" She sucked in a shaky breath, feeling so small under his dissecting stare, and unsure of how to answer him. Of course she wasn't close to Sasuke...but he was close to her. She'd give anything to make him see that-make him see how much she cared...but she couldn't give voice to her thoughts, not with his older brother looking her in the eye, waiting.

Then she watched as he slowly turned and began walking away.

Sakura stilled, gaze fixated on the back of his head in the incredibly dim light as he made his way out of the forest, stopping long enough to turn his head slightly over his shoulder before he got too far. "Finish it."

"F-…Finish..?" She repeated meekly, lost in its meaning.

"Don't come back until you have finished what you started." His words fell slowly, darkly, accusingly for her, and yet she remained the portrait of innocence and perplexity.

When he didn't hear another word from her, the Uchiha visibly stiffened, and the vague movement caused Sakura to flinch back up against the tree.

To her anxiety, he turned back around, and stalked slowly up to her, each step pressing her more and more firmly into the cool, rough bark as she observed, what she could only know him to be as, her executioner.

"I don't understand...!" She forced loudly, hoping to stall his movements, but it didn't work.

Itachi drifted to her like a ghost, and when he was within reach, his hands flew up and grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her back to him, and pulling her into his chest.

Sakura let out a fearful noise, and then snapped her lips shut when one of his hands slid over the back of her own hand, loosely laced their fingers together, and began guiding her down the front of her own shirt. She gasped as their hands both burrowed beneath top of her skirt, and slipped down over the warm, soft mound between her legs.

She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. This couldn't be real… But it was.

His hand bent over hers, pushing her fingers down her center and over her clit, already slick with moisture. This was the part where she tried to get away…tried to push him off her, like she had done to Kisame, and tried to run. She couldn't. Her body had shut down, letting itself move with his instructions for reasons she couldn't fathom.

"I can't-…I can't do this…" She whispered into the abyss that engulfed them.

"You will. You have to. I won't listen to you say his name anymore." His voice, though spoken at a normal volume, seemed to boom into her ear as he shamelessly caressed her wet folds along with her own hand. An act that she never in her wildest dreams believed he would be capable of, despite how little she truly knew about him.

He felt the first wave of her goose bumps emerge along her arms as he held her to him, and the first audible reaction to his touch as a moan gushed from her. Sakura, aghast with the impossible situation she was tangled in, could no longer sense which way was up and down as her nerves took over faster than her lingering morsel of sanity wished they had.

They plunged further at his command, dragging her hand with him as he pushed her to cup her own mound and rub slowly to her aching entrance. Sakura felt herself grow weak as her legs parted wider, and she slumped into him. Raw heat burned through their hands, sticky and soaking wet as he dipped their fingers inside her tight opening, inciting a louder, breathy moan to steam out into the night.

"Why are you doing this?" Saturated with desire as she asked him the question that was quickly beginning to no longer matter to her, as she allowed the tension that had been building inside of her to submit to him…and whatever he wanted to do with her. Her free hand, meanwhile, had clutched into his arm and squeezed every time he did something particularly debilitating to her.

"Because you're driving me crazy." The huff that flooded her ear caught her off guard as she detected the same lust that Sasuke had teased her with in her dreams, and it was more than enough to make her shiver in his embrace.

He lost it. The iron grip that had been keeping his own mounting desire in check crumbled, ripping with it the hand that he had been holding captive as Sakura felt her heat dissipate, her own hand discarded into the crisp air. Yet his did not leave. It replaced hers fully with a greed that startled the kunoichi as his fingers pumped steadily inside her, coated in a generous amount of fluid she didn't even know she could produce.

"Oh Kami.." She choked out, oblivious to the amount of pressure she was easing onto his hips, until that familiar lump formed into the crease of her ass.

This was really happening, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do to stop it. Her own body betrayed her as she responded eagerly, without regard to the hands of the man that-as far as she knew-had murdered his own family.

A gust of wind swirled over her as Itachi turned her to face him, and pinned her back to the tree. His shadow moved closer to her, blocking her in as his hand dug down the front of her skirt again, leaving a wet path as his fingers rolled down her belly. He watched her expression expectantly, testing her reactions as he pulled at her strings like a puppet master, weaving his fingers in and out of her as her breathing quickened and hands dug into him, pulling him against her in desperation.

She couldn't stand it. What he was doing to her was unbearable as she writhed under him, grinding her own hips into him as his wrist moved in a rhythm between her thighs, glistening with a sheen of sweat.

A louder noise filled with need begged more from him, and the Uchiha found himself leaning gradually into her until his temple brushed past hers and rested there with his forehead propped on the bark behind her. The sound of her labored breathing, her moans, the soft, burning flesh that throbbed and drenched his hand made his head swirl like nothing he had anticipated. The sounds of someone that craved him.

As much as she could blame him for doing these unspeakable things to her, she was the one ruining him more than she could ever imagine. This wasn't something he just did…to anyone…ever… Hell, it was once in a blue moon he bothered to so much as graze someone's arm. This…this was a whole new level of loss of control on his part. She was sucking him in, making him want to throw her to the ground and take her with reckless abandon, lose himself in the moment.

This was the sort of thing he hated. This was why he had trained every day, and willed himself into a perfectly skilled, cold-blooded killer. Losing control could very well unravel his whole life…everything he had ever worked for. And here she was, doing just that, and believing herself to be so innocent.

"Ahhh! Itachi!" Sakura screamed suddenly, knee bending and hooking over the back of his leg as she clenched around him, shuddering into her first orgasm and clamping down on his busy fingers. Her head craned back, stretching her neck as she gripped him like he was the only solid object left in her universe.

The Uchiha's frenzied mind focused quite suddenly at the sound of his name screaming in his ear, tripping his heartbeat into an untamed pattern and unleashing something even he didn't know he possessed. She shouldn't have done that…

Before she could finish riding the high that had wracked her panting form, Sakura yelped as she was abruptly seized by her hips and thrown to the ground. Her fearful eyes locked onto him as he descended over her, shedding the clouded coat like a piece of trash as he threw it over his head. His movements were rough and unpredictable, causing her to shield her arms over her chest and coil her knees back to keep him from her, but he merely took each ankle in a solid grip and yanked them down.

It was too dark for her to see the massive tent that had formed in his pants, but she would understand his intention as soon as his painted nails looped under her sandy skirt, and pulled it down her hips and legs, along with the shorts under them.

Her legs glued themselves together, but he moved for her shirt next, taking it by the red hem and pulling it over her arms and head, which she allowed him to do without much of a struggle, but only because she was stricken with uncertainty, and too timid to try and stop him.

The leaves crackled under his palms as he caged her, and moved to pull the dirty bindings of her chest down over the slope of her breasts, freeing them to pop from their confines. Sakura's lungs stopped moving as the fresh air gust over her small pink nipples, tightening them into fine peaks as they were laid bare for the eyes of someone other than herself for the first time. Dreams didn't count. Dreams were nothing like the real thing. And this was…shit…..this was as real as it got.

He inched lower, breath wafting over her naked chest as a tongue licked tantalizingly slow over the tender curve. She saw his eyes close and face contort into either a look of pain or intense concentration, but there was no time to wonder what was going through the man's head.

Sakura moaned for him, despite her rattled nerves, as her body continued to betray her. His tongue lapped and swished over her pink bud, twitching above her thick pulse. His hands, one wet and one dry, pulled down the cotton fabric of her underwear, exposing her glistening folds to him, rubbed red and still throbbing from the magic his fingers had worked on her.

Upon leaving the frail garment to hang around one of her ankles, his wet hand clawed up her side and fanned over her other breast, squeezing as he shifted himself higher, a complexion that was barely a shade darker than Sasuke's caressing up her collar bone and into the curve of her throat as he kissed and sucked. Every action of his was driven by pure lust, and a need that couldn't be denied as she felt her thighs spread wide and pulled down to slap against his hips.

"Ah! WAIT!" She yelped loudly, triggered by the hot, erect member that had been sandwiched into the twin, soaked lips that craved further attention. She hadn't a clue when he had removed his pants, but he was a second away from impaling her with his length, and the thought occurred to her as she was pulled to the very brink that this…was going to hurt…like hell.

Did he even know? Could he tell by the strength she had gripped him with when he toyed with her minutes earlier?

Her question was answered cruelly as a hand smacked over her mouth while he planted a rough kiss over the pounding artery along the side of her neck, and thrust into her with one swift motion.

Sharp twigs drug into her scalp as her head arched back and her fingernails raked tiny, welted cuts into the flesh of his back. Her legs squeezed around his hips as a deafening, agonizing scream collided into his smothering clutch. He didn't let go of her, panting hungrily into her throat as he sheathed himself past the thin, yet sensitive film of tissue and buried into her cervix.

The pain was comparable to a sword cutting into her, slicing her nerves and overwhelming her. He laid there, submerged to the hilt as he let the first wave of torture pass through her. In the very least, the worst part was over. And no, he wouldn't apologize. He wouldn't whisper words of comfort into her ear. This was her punishment. She deserved this. _She _asked for this, not him. This was what happened when she drove him to the edge. _This_ was what happened when he had to listen to her moan and cry his little brother's name in the dead of night. And he could've given her so much worse, but he didn't.

Sakura's own clenched eyes and the blinding absence of light prevented her from seeing the look on his face, now overcome with a cringing anger as his chest heaved into hers, crushing the air from her lungs that released in loud gusts from her nose to puff over the back of his hand.

A low, sickening laugh muffled into her throat as he kissed and licked her, like an animal savoring its fresh kill…only, he was worn just as thin as she was. The only difference between them being he had the strength to dominate her, and she didn't. Nothing more separated them.

A single tear trickled from her eye, pulled down her temple as her head froze in its angled position, trying to stifle the screams that fought to clamor free. She waited with raw nerves as his first few pumps came, slow and deliberate into her, and sinking firmly into the limit of her core. She was clenching around him, soft, weak spasms squeezing him as he moved within her most sacred place…now defiled.

As if sensing her regret, the pale lips of her beloved's brother slid along her neck and up to her ear, pausing to nip gently at her lobe. "You wanted this, Sakura."

His pace picked up, numbing the once inescapable pain into a dull ache that was contrasted with the slow rise of returning pleasure. Her thighs, never easing their constraint around his bucking hips, shook lightly. The sound of wet flesh slapped together as his lap quickly became coated with her nectar, tainted pink by a smearing of blood.

His hand slid away from her mouth, fingertips tickling down her side to grip into the meat of her ass as he lifted himself from her, and sat on his haunches to pull her hips up and over him, angling her torso up as he slammed into her.

Her first moan since his assault came when he found the right angle inside her, releasing a spike of electric ecstasy to drown out the ache that could not completely vanish.

His eyes, she now noticed, had never shifted out of their threatening crimson hue, and roved greedily over her chest as her breasts bounced with each rough impact of his length colliding into her. One hand strayed from its grip on her hip and glided across to the juncture of their meeting, pushing a thumb into her exposed pearl and rubbing it with expert precision.

"Ahhh!" Came that scream again, the one he'd been waiting to hear-the one that made him shiver-as he watched her writhe below him, keeping her hips in a controlled, steady rhythm with his as he marveled at the almost impossibly snug fit she gave him.

"Itachi..! Please!" So much shame she had earlier, and look at her now. Giving herself to him with far less of a protest than he had predicted. He wasn't sure exactly how he felt about that, but he did know one thing.

She. Felt. Amazing.

The high he was climbing into was a high that matched hers as he thrust again and again, her heat driving him mad as he impatiently hooked each knee over his arms and fell back down onto her, holding her as open as her flexibility allowed him to, and letting him drill even deeper, claiming her with each pump.

"Say it again…" He exhaled loudly.

"I love it when you say my name…"

"ITACHIII…!" Sakura's eyes rolled into her skull as those haunting words were repeated to her, a state of pure, heavenly bliss invading her, and letting him feel the full strength of her convulsion around his thick member as she climaxed a second time, wailing his name without regard to volume.

A growling groan rumbled from deep within his chest signaled his released inside of her, slamming into her forcibly with a hot gush of fluid penetrated her depths.

The hold on her legs slackened as he grew limp over her, both of them gasping ragged breaths of air as they rode out their currents of unrivaled euphoria.

She was exhausted. So exhausted she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes as she felt his weight eventually disappear, once a couple minutes of laying over top of her, still trapped inside her had ticked by. Sweat coated her from head to toe, along with the overpowering scent of their sex spread all over her thighs. Her hair, a tangled mess into the decaying forest floor, was the driest thing she possessed.

With a rustle of clothing leaving the nest of leaves it had landed in, she sensed him dressing above her, not bothering to wait for her climb to her feet. Actually…she wasn't even sure if she could do that yet. It was as if the very life had been sucked out of her, and the thought of moving a single muscle for any reason was a feat she just couldn't manage.

A minute later, she head his footsteps shifting across the ground, growing distant as he began the walk out of the forest alone. Their sound would fade into nothing soon, and she continued to lay there, incapable of sifting through the moshpit of emotions buzzing in her mind. Why…? Why had she let him do that? All of it.. Why? No, she couldn't have stopped him if he really wanted her, but the fact was that she hadn't even _tried_. What did that say about her? Did it make her a traitor? If so, a traitor to who? Sasuke? Naruto? Konoha entirely?

These thoughts, too painful and confusing to entertain, were interrupted by the sound of footsteps wandering back in her direction. She listened quietly, saying nothing, and not even opening her eyes to see if it was him…or someone else.

Another shuffle of fabric being retrieved from the ground, and then she was being lifted into the air as well. Itachi's arms, now clothed in the long sleeves of his coat, carried her sticky, sweaty form out of the forest and back to their camp.

The journey felt like it lasted forever as she hovered high above the ground, scooped against his warm chest that was still as sticky as hers. But when the red glow danced over the backs of her eyelids, signaling their close proximity to the fire, she knew they had arrived.

"…Are you serious?" That gruff voice, belonging to none other than mister fish-face, raged into the air.

"Fucking…WHAT? You damn hypocrite!" He fired angrily at his partner.

Sakura didn't know what transpired between them, for the moment Itachi deposited her lifeless body to the ground, she disappeared into the deep sleep that she needed.


	5. Shark Bait

**A/N: **_I made some minor edits to all the chapters and fixed some typos that had been bugging me. I do plan on continuing this...eventually. I apologize for the wait, but I think I'm going to end up creating a new one-shot first though. I got one stuck in my head that I can't get rid of. It's like an itch that I need to scratch._

* * *

The billowing pink halo swished and drifted calmly through the water like resting jellyfish tentacles, ebbing to and fro with the lightest shift, lifeless around her face. The sun was high in the sky already, as Sakura hovered on her back in the middle of the lake, naked as the day she was born. What did it matter anymore? They'd seen it all. Well, one of them had…the other, almost. Either way, she couldn't go another day without at least trying to clean the only attire she had to wear.

Every scrap of fabric, torn and dirtied that she possessed, was left to hang from a tree branch close to the lake's edge. Even the bindings she kept wrapped around her chest and those thin white panties blew in the light breeze. They were far from perfect in their condition, and that was putting it gently, but she'd done the best she could. They'd been hanging for about an hour now, and it had gotten warm enough as the sun shone directly above her that they might be tolerable enough to wear, but she wouldn't leave.

It was a repeat of yesterday, only Kisame wasn't nearby, and so she felt less paranoid. It had been his turn to depart earlier that morning, for reasons unknown to her. Whatever they were doing…well, honestly, she wasn't sure if she cared anymore. Itachi was close, but she didn't suspect him to be the kind of person that would ambush her like they both knew his sharp-toothed partner would love to do.

In fact, the Uchiha had crawled back into his stoic shell, acting as if nothing at all had happened between them, leaving Sakura torn between relief and something less than pleasant. A mixture of negative emotions she couldn't quite put a label on. On the one hand, she felt used and discarded like a piece of worthless trash, and entirely powerless. On the other hand, she didn't want his attention. She never had. She _hated_ Itachi. Hated him with every fiber of her being. Hated him probably more than anyone else in the world did…except for Sasuke. There was no comparing her level of hate to his, but she liked to imagine she could get close.

Yet as close as she thought she was, she was still kilometers away. For to reach that level of rage would be to destroy her very soul… But that wasn't something she understood just yet, and likely never would.

Still, as far as she was from consuming her own soul with the swell of emotions she was capable of feeling, the pale mint eyes that stared up at the puffs of clouds gliding freely above her reflected something far colder and more resolute than they ever had before.

She had been doing some thinking…ohh, so much thinking… Thinking thoughts that threatened her with as much destruction as they promised unyielding determination.

Right now, there was only one thing she hated more than Itachi and Kisame: herself.

There are only two ways to escape that kind of gnawing feeling. Destroy yourself, or change.

Even if she had no other reason in the world to live, even if her entire village had been annihilated with everyone in it, she would find a way to best them purely out of spite.

Last night, she had succumbed to something unspeakable. Something that could never be taken back. Something she would never, ever forgive herself for. She had let Uchiha Itachi steal from her something that was supposed to be sacred, invaluable. Something she had only ever wanted one person in the world to claim…and she had given it away to that one person's number one enemy.

Disgust was not a strong enough word for what she felt for herself. Every time the flicker of a memory from last night returned to her, she winced. What made it so unbelievably painful was that she knew she could never deny how good it had felt…and that fact ate away at her slowly, leaving a gaping hole in her chest where her heart should be.

If what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, then she should be a beast after this is over.

Because she would escape. At this point, even if she died trying, it would be worth it. No longer would she suffer as their caged animal.

The slimy bank of the lake emerged along her back as she reached the shore, and she stayed there. Lying in the shallow water that lapped over her skin as her view above had changed to the webbing of branches of leaves that stretched over the water. She dreaded leaving this place. Moving was uncomfortable. Almost everything hurt, or felt unusually heavy, and she felt even more exhausted than she did yesterday.

The sun had already burned away the fog by the time she had woken up this morning, and she couldn't remember a single thing she had dreamed about, but sleeping in had done little to restore her energy. She felt as if her very life-force had been sucked out of her. Although, it could still have something to do with the strange, power-infused shackles that had been returned to her wrists sometime after she had fallen asleep.

The air was understandably cool against her pale skin once it had partially emerged from the water, but not cool enough to be bothersome. In her current state, she was tired enough not to mind as her eyes slowly drifted shut, and her shallow breaths became deeper with her mouth parting slightly. Her excuse would be that her clothes hadn't finished drying, but she wanted to stay out there as long as she could. It was the closest thing to peace she was given while in _their_ company.

She hoped she wouldn't dream again. Dreaming had become a burden. All she really wanted was blackness. An absence of everything. The closest thing to nonexistence that she could get.

And for a while, she was permitted that. How long, she couldn't tell. It could've been another hour, or maybe just five minutes, but she awoke sooner than she had wanted to regardless.

Something was touching her shoulder. Something so soft and faint that it tickled…almost itched. _A bug… _her half-asleep mind assumed, and lazily a hand attempted to swat it away, only for it to smack against something larger than she had expected, and a little _squeak!_ reached her ears.

Sakura's eyes opened, head snapping to the side as she stared in awe at the inky sketch of a small mouse standing on its hind legs and sniffing in her direction, whiskers twitching feverishly. She only managed to focus on it for a second before it immediately turned and scampered off into the forest with hurried hops.

Sakura flipped over onto her stomach to watch it go, instantly regretting the reflex as a sharp pain in her abdomen spiked through her…the aftermath of last night. Her teeth gritted as she winced, but she was more focused on the fleeing creature—drawing of a creature—that quickly disappeared into the bushes.

"Sai…" The name fell quietly from her mouth as she watched the quiet tree-line in front of her, eyes twinkling in excited surprise. He wasn't here, obviously. That mouse had been a scout, and there was no telling how many of them he had released, but he was close enough…and looking for her.

Who else was with him? There had to be others. He wouldn't have been sent alone. And Naruto…was he coming too? Surely he wouldn't be so stupid. But stubborn, he was definitely stubborn to the point of being stupid. Of course he'd come. Baka!

This wasn't good… No, it was! But it wasn't… Or was it?

What if they were caught? Or killed? What if Naruto was captured? This was what Itachi and Kisame wanted, wasn't it? For him to come out here to save her? But how many others did they expect to show up with him? _None_ of them were supposed to be there. A search and rescue mission for one little medic against two Akatsuki members that were after the Nine Tails should have been out of the question. In the same breath, Sakura wanted to curse Tsunade-sama as much as she wanted to hug her for allowing this to happen.

She couldn't shake the idea of something going terribly wrong all because of her. If someone was killed, or if Naruto was caught, it'd be one more thing she could never forgive herself for.

Jumping to her bare feet, she ran to the low hanging branch to snatch her damp clothes from it and throw them back on at a record pace despite her compromised hands, slipping her shoes on as well. Droplets of water flickered through the air behind her, beading from her soaked strands of hair as she began running through the forest that separated their camp and the lake.

A few meters in, she stopped abruptly, thinking twice about her speed as she decided it would be best to stroll leisurely, reluctantly back to their smoldering campfire. Anything faster would only arouse suspicion. But damn, if they were coming, they'd better not start without her. She needed to get at least one hit on each of them once her hands were free. A shot to the groin. That's all.

Yeah, that would probably never happen, but a girl could dream.

"Looks like I just missed the best part."

Sakura's foot hovered mid-step as a familiar voice teased her from behind. Kisame… When did he get there? How was he so good at sneaking up on her? Her eyes were trained on the ground a few feet in front of her, the cogs and wheel behind them grinding to a halt as her mind fell blank.

"You missed a spot." His voice was closer this time, and she tensed as she felt a single finger brush the back of her arm above her elbow, smearing a little bit of mud with it. She didn't react.

Forest in front of her, forest behind her, and him. Why did he have to show up now? All she'd needed was a few more minutes and she would have been safe.

No… There was no such thing as safe. But the chances of him harassing her were dim when she was with Itachi, or so she could assume. Unless last night had changed that, she really didn't know.

"Two spots…" His voice grated on her nerves as he found some more mud, and her teeth began to clench as she willed herself to remain calm. They both knew what he was doing…and they both knew that the other knew. Nothing needed to be said.

"You really are terrible at cleaning yourself, kunoichi." She remained still as she felt him press into her back, the dampness of her shirt and shorts soaking into the front of his open coat. The coat that did little to stifle the sharp, chiseled ridges of his chest and abs. "Someone should teach you how to be more…attentive." When his fingers slid over her hips, she darted forward out of revulsion, an elbow jabbing into him vengefully in rejection.

"Not a chance." She snapped coldly and started walking again, as calmly and indifferently as she could. He was smiling, naturally. She didn't need to look at him to know that. But if she was lucky, he'd let her go with little more than a laugh and a couple more insulting remarks flung after her.

"But you've already given me a chance." He countered as a firm grip on her arm startled her, before she was flying through the air and slamming painfully against a tree. Stars flooded her blackened vision as the uncomfortable impact vibrated through her skull, jostling around her very brain cells in the process.

Her hands, with nowhere else to go, flew up and blocked her chest from him with her clenched fists resting just under her chin. The only barrier she could put up, as her eyes opened and his blurred portrait slowly came to focus in front of her. The pale blue face, the pointed markings over his cheekbones, the sharp pearly grin that matched his eyes. The darker blue shark fin his hair was spiked into, with golden hilt of Samehada jutting behind his shoulder.

She bared her teeth at him, all but forgetting the terror he had unraveled her with the previous morning, as she fought the urge to spit in his face. She had made a promise to herself, after all. She couldn't be the weak, caged animal anymore. She would die with some dignity left, if that was her only way to keep it.

"Do. Not. Touch. Me." She growled out slowly, each word weighted with equal threat as she stared down the man that towered a foot taller than her, easily. To her amazement, she wasn't even shaking. Her skin, though damp, felt hot as if her blood itself was beginning to boil.

That grin of his stretched a little wider as he laughed. The very sound of it echoed arrogant confidence as his eyes narrowed in pure mirth at her little display. She entertained him because he had nothing to worry about. And this would be why her blood was nearly boiling. She knew this, yes, but it couldn't stop her. It didn't matter. If she was going to be backed into a corner either way, the least she could do was go down with gnashing teeth.

"It's a little late to be acting tough, Sakura." He leaned in closer to her, never breaking eye contact as he noticed she hadn't so much as blinked at him once since her eyes reopened.

She saw his hand drift into her vision, grasping the glowing bonds held steady under her chin as her gaze locked with his, and then she felt the pressure disappear with a metallic _click._

Eyes widened, she looked down at her freed hands, just as confused as she had been yesterday when Itachi removed them. But this time, there was nothing she needed to heal. What was he doing…?

"A silly precaution. They would be necessary with a strong captive, but you have proven to be something…unexpected."

Sakura looked back up at him, the meaning his words sinking into her as she took the insult. Her eyes narrowed slowly, fists remaining clenched in that same spot as she contemplated what her next move would be…if she would even make one. He was goading her. He wanted her to attack; to give him a reason to make another move.

He didn't need a reason, though. This was simple, sadistic fun for him.

"You don't think I'm strong?" A soft, steady voice asked him, and his grin fell into an amused, adoring smile as his face leaned into hers, blue cheek brushing intimately against her pale cheek as his voice whispered into her ear. "I know you're not. You had no restraints last night, and we all know what happened then."

Silence followed.

Her cheeks burned a furious red, though she didn't make a sound.

His hard chest pressed into her, trapping her lightly to the tree at her back as she felt him shift, lips brushing against her ear more delicately than she thought he would ever be capable. They parted to speak, but the words that would have formed became a loud growl instead as he buckled forward.

Her knee had moved as fast as it had needed to, faster than he had reacted, as it slammed into his groin. The warmth of her damp torso pressing into his disappeared in an instant as she fled. The throb of pain distracted him only for a second before he turned to follow her retreating sprint, only to wonder for another split-second why she was nowhere to be found, though he could feel her presence.

The crack of her first into the back of his head gave him his answer, and it was his turn to see stars briefly as she took off running this time. Moving as fast as she could in the direction of the campfire, before skidding in bewilderment at her choice of location, and turning sharply to the right to flee elsewhere. Her bonds were gone… All of them. Her chakra should begin returning, though she had no idea how long it would take. That mattered not. All she needed was to be faster than Kisame…and Itachi, whenever he realized what was going on.

Tempted to scream at the top of her lungs for Sai, as he had to be around somewhere…close enough to hopefully hear her…she bit her tongue instead, and kept running. If Itachi was clueless, he needed to stay that way as long as possible. Screaming her location to everyone was a bad idea.

Behind her, the foreboding sound of thrashing bushes and snapping tree limbs alerted her to Kisame's quick recovery, but she pressed on, not daring to look over her shoulder.

Then it disappeared. The crackling and whooshing fell quiet, and Sakura felt a pang of anxiety as she debated whether to actually glance back this time.

No…it didn't matter where he'd gone. She couldn't stop.

If she had, she might have seen the false shark fin of Samehada streaking through the very earth after her, before dipping out of sight as it drew near.

Sakura yelped as the ground before her exploded, chunks of dirt and rocks shooting into the air before a blue fist collided with her chin in an uppercut, sending her high into the air with the rest of the debris. Kisame landed on solid ground beneath her, shaking specks of dirt off his coat as he peered up at her flailing form.

Her hands clawed at a tree branch to climb onto as she passed through the air, trying to ignore the pain throbbing through her jaw and teeth as she regained balanced on the branch and launched off it, soaring from one to the next as she continued fleeing. Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage…that'd been a sneaky one, but it wasn't going to work up there.

The scowl that had marred the shark-man's face melted into a smirk as he watched her go, swiveling on his heels to trace after her below. This was going to be fun. Why hadn't he let her play out of her bonds earlier? Ah, right. Itachi… Such a strict, party-crasher that guy. He needed to loosen up.

_He's fast… If I can just evade him, I'll be ok. Be like water, slip through his fingers… Just don't face him head-on. _She cheered herself on mentally, while of course fighting to maintain her cool. This was going to be scary as hell, but getting caught by him would only be worse, she had to remind herself.

As her foot left the next branch, she panicked to see the branch she was about to land on get spliced in two with a blur of the massive sword streaking up into view with Kisame close behind. She was soaring towards him without a way to brake, or change direction. Her foot struck at his face in mid-air, but he caught her by the ankle and jolted her down into the direction of the ground with a sharp stab from the hilt of his sword into her belly.

Sakura grunted, clutching at her stomach as she hurdled down, watching him fall after her. She landed on her back and managed to flip backwards just before he crashed down into the ground where she would have been with his heels. Samehada swung in an arch after her, causing her to flatten herself back down to avoid its rough, bandaged edge.

Before she could leap further away, a flash of hand seals and a loud splash left her suddenly suspended in a perfect orb of water. Sakura stared in shock at the shuddering image of Kisame standing opposite her, one hand penetrating the liquid prison to hold it in place. His smirk stretched into a grin as he watched her without saying a word, and Sakura began to panic again as she realized she couldn't move or breathe, and he wasn't releasing the jutsu.

"What's the magic word, Sakura?" His voice teased her from behind her prison that was denser than steel.

She fought to speak, but found it nearly impossible to move her mouth.

"What's that…? I can't hear you." He chuckled darkly as she strained to break free, only in vain.

Her eyes could only stare back into his cruel ones as they watched each other, and she wondered how long he would let her suffocate…how close to death he would bring her.

Maybe she'd get lucky and he'd wait too long. Then she could escape him…truly escape.

Alas, it would not be so, as the moment she felt her lungs convulse and her nose suck in a greedy amount of liquid as a reflex, the orb collapsed and spilled its contents over the earth, leaving her to fall in a wet heap as she coughed and hacked and choked on the water she had inhaled. Gushes of it expelling through her nose and mouth as she felt her chest caving and squeezing it back out uncontrollably.

Her arms shook lightly as she held herself up, listening to his slow steps creep in closer to her, squishing through the wet earth. When he was close enough, she burst from her feigned weakened state, a fist aimed straight for his groin, only to have his palm catch it with a grunt as he braced himself not to fall over. She had gotten stronger in the short amount of time he had let the shackles fall from her wrists, but she wouldn't get away with another stunt. Against him, she was no match, whether at her worst or her best. It was fun to watch her try, though.

Sakura found her arm twisting sharply once he caught her, and she cried out, locking into a pained, fearful statue as she made not another move…her elbow on the verge of dislocating.

"Cute… But I don't know why you try so hard." He chuckled again as he watched her from his towering height above.

She felt her arm untwist as he nudged her onto her back, though keeping a hold as he knelt over her on one knee. "You didn't fight last night, did you?"

He was returned a glare as she defiantly locked eyes with him. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined ever torturing someone, but right now she would jump at the chance if presented, and it was written all over her face as she watched him take a hold of each of her wrists and pinned them to the ground on either side of her.

"Don't get me wrong." He growled into her ear, dipping his mouth low once more. "I like it when you struggle." She felt his lips part against her skin, revealing his teeth as he bit down on her earlobe. "I just don't know why you do. Little girl…you are nothing compared to me."

The weight of his hands vanished as they moved over her shirt, pulling it up slowly over her bruised abdomen. When the wet hem reached the curve of her chest, her hands shot to his, gripping into him with a fierceness that was easily batted away.

"Sakura…" He laughed lightly, and she gasped and tensed in fear as the clamp of his sharp teeth claimed a chunk of her throat unexpectedly. "There are two ways we can do this. The choice is yours…but your clothes are coming off." After a short pause to test her next potential move, she felt the front of her shirt rising again and passing over the stained bindings of her chest.

"There's a slow way and a fast way. Samehada could make quick work of you, but I can't promise that he wouldn't take flesh along with your clothes." He purred into her neck as she held deathly still to avoid a puncture. Each pointed tooth leaving a distinct, pulsing ache that blended into a ring.

His teeth parted from her, allowing her shirt to be tugged the rest of the way off and tossed aside. Her chest heaved under him as his hands tickled back down her chest and over the fabric, cupping her breasts as he leaned back down and kissed the mark her had left on her throat.

Her eyes clenched shut as she felt his fingers squeezing lightly through the thin material, pinching the buds beneath as he lapped slowly at the dented ring under her jaw. "Please stop…" She swallowed hard, motionless as she knew better than to physically fight him at this point. She had already lost this round. "I don't want this."

"Yes…you do." Two of his fingers hooked over the rim of the concealing bandages at her cleavage, and she jumped when they yanked down, tearing the band of white clean through. The flaps of wet fabric were parted to the sides, causing her to suck in her breath as the cool air rushed over her exposed skin, soon followed by his fingers as he stroked along the soft flesh. "I heard you in your sleep, and I heard you last night." His mouth trailed kisses down the front of her chest, catching one of the tender bulbs between his teeth.

Her back arched stiffly as she gasped, fearing he would cut or bite her, but he held her gently, teeth parting to let his tongue swirl teasingly while his lips latched on and sucked. A hand strayed down between her legs, brushing along her inner thighs as it ducked beyond her skirt and rubbed through the black fabric of her shorts. "You can deny it as much as you want, but you need this, and you know it." He murmured as he lapped and nibbled at her breast, hearing the first muffle moan of hers as his fingers worked in a pattern against the warm, covered mound that silently begged to be touched.

She hadn't bothered trying to close her legs on him. It hadn't worked before, and it wasn't going to work now, but every so often they twitched as if they wanted to…instinctively trying to keep him out, even as he trailed a single finger along her center and pressed sharply at her button, forcing a louder sound that was a mix of shock and pleasure. She felt the vibration of his laugh warm her chest as his hot breath washed over her.

"See?" Was all he said as he lifted his head, staring up at her knowingly, and holding her gaze as both of his hands slid down her sides to her skirt, and pulled it down. She didn't move to stop him then either…another thing she would blame on futility. But they did both know that wasn't the only reason. She did need this. His touch, no matter how wrong and disgusting it was to her, still felt addictive…just like Itachi's. Was it the fact that it w_as _wrong that made it so good? Or was it simply just because their lecherous hands had years of experience over her, and she had nothing to steel herself with? Either way, damnit…he was right. She could try as hard as she wanted to, but it wouldn't change a thing. She was helpless to his touch.

Though her legs failed to resist his movement as the wet skirt and shorts passed over her hips and down her thighs, she felt herself begin to tremble. Breath coming in quicker, shorter puffs as she watched him with uncertainty. He hadn't removed any of his clothing yet, and his face was hovering too close to her thighs. His eyes continued to watch her, that smile of his disappearing only when he bent forward and nipped at her inner thigh. She twitched involuntarily, and he nipped again, higher, leaving faint red marks as he journeyed slowly up to the saturated, see-through panties.

When his breath tickled between her legs, she jerked upright and tried to pull away from him suddenly, only to have his hands grip her by the hips and slam her back down into place as he laughed. Sakura's hands slipped in the wet dirt and she fell once more onto her back, feeling dizzy as his teeth snagged into the frail fabric that hid her from him, and quickly shredded it.

"What-…what are you-…what are you doing…" She panted nervously, answered by the slip of a hot tongue entering her folds for the first time and diving as deep as it could reach, stroking into her.

"Tasting you." He growled, lips burrowing between hers as his tongue stroked up to her clit and played with it mercilessly.

Those twitching, reluctant and horrendously confused thighs fell like dead weight at the sensation, and her head fell back just as she propped herself up on her elbows, a loud, breathy moan feeding his intent. Nothing in her life had ever felt that perfectly, indescribably good.

"Oh K-…Oh Kami…" She panted, hips grinding into his face of their own volition. The flickering of his tongue nearly bringing her to the edge by itself in that short amount of time. His hands clutched her hips, stilling them as he looked up at the pink blush on her face past the rising and falling swells of her breasts.

He grinned, nibbling at the small lump and fighting to keep her hips down as she writhed against him. One hand released, venturing its way up her waist and fanning over her chest, lightly petting and swirling around the erect bulb. His tongue dipped back down at her entrance, darting in to savor her nectar. The scent alone was enough to drive him over the edge, but he'd had enough practice not to let that happen….unlike his partner.

Another protest of her hips fought against the restraint of his hand and she tried to push into him. When that didn't work, her hand latched into the spiked blue fin of his hair, nails digging in as she moaned and arched her back. Seconds away from reaching her limit, his mouth pulled away, leaving her gasping, confused, and a little irritated as she looked down at him in a heated daze.

The Akatsuki coat hung open, dragging along her skin as he shifted himself eye-level with her. Her scent, smeared all over his mouth, reached her nose in an instant, leaving her feeling almost high as she inhaled deeply. She was tingly wildly, throbbing as her hips ground into his that were now hovering over her, though they were still clothed.

"Tell me what you want." He commanded, watching her intensely, yet not a single finger touched her as she squirmed below. She would have to beg him for more. Nothing less would satisfy.

Sakure bit her bottom lip, unaware of how seductive it looked as she was caught in a tornado of desire and resentment and hate.

His eyes rested on her lip as she chewed slowly on it, mulling over her thoughts as she climbed slowly down from the high he had teased her with. Then, her breath hitched as he descended, lips brushing over hers, causing her teeth to let go of her bottom lip instantly. His tongue trailed achingly slow over her bottom lips, tasting it, and she let out a growl of frustration.

"I want…!" She choked, and then clenched her teeth, a pained look seizing her as she physically struggled not to give in.

"You want…what?" He echoed patiently, smiling as his knuckles ghosted down her side and over the slope of her hip.

"…you!… Please…" She groaned in an exhale. Hungrily she pressed into him, and one leg hooked over his hips as the battle of wills came to an end.

With that, his chest drifted away as he shifted into a sitting position above her. His coat slid back over his shoulders and down his toned biceps. Her breathing was labored in anticipation as she watched him, feeling as if she had been flung into a completely foreign realm. Right now, all she wanted was to see him stripped bare…such a terrible contrast to twenty minutes earlier. She couldn't stop it. She was a slave to this desire.

And he knew. That's why he tortured her like this.

"I hate you." She whispered up at him as he smiled that same arrogant, confident smile. His hands moving to his pants next and dragging them down. The fully erect, throbbing member that greeted her in broad daylight had a startling affect, compared to how little she could see anything last night. It was…big. Intimidatingly so. Just like his height.

She must have stopped breathing for a second again, as she heard him laugh faintly, but her eyes couldn't tear away from it until his hands reached down and grabbed her, turning her over on her stomach without offering an explanation.

She started to get up, but his hand fell flat on her lower back, pushing her down, and she obeyed reluctantly. Shaking lightly as he lowered himself over top of her, she couldn't help but remember the pain she had felt the previous night. The pain that had lingered all the way up to the present, and had her wondering if it was only about to get worse.

"Relax." His gruff tone ordered, but relaxing was the last conceivable thing she could do when his shaft grazed the back of her thigh. It felt hotter than expected, and she whimpered quietly when his hands smoothed over her hips and pulled them upward at a slight angle. The thick tip pressed to her entrance, pausing there as his lips found her shoulder and kissed along to the back of her neck, where his teeth dug lightly into her skin. She moaned softly, just as he eased into her slowly, turning her moan into something louder and a little panicked.

The slow movement did little to make up for the sheer size that filled her, and she squeezed his length as a reflex, twitching at each pang of discomfort that wracked her lower abdomen. Everything hurt, despite how unbelievably wet she was. He hissed between his teeth and along her neck as she tensed under him. "Ah.." She yelped as he moved at a gentle but firm pace, the pads of his fingers tightening into her hipbones as he thrust.

Through the fog of her mind, distracted by pain and pleasure in each full pump he filled her with, she vaguely wondered why he even bothered being nice to her. It seemed like an unfitting grace of his… Something that shouldn't exist. But she wouldn't dare complain or even question him. Even the slightest push was enough to make her cringe a little, thanks to Itachi. Anything more and she'd probably fall to tears.

The hands gripping her hips eased their pressure and moved up her side, dipping beneath her to cup her breasts as his hips eased down more weight onto her from behind. His speed picked up a little, and she felt his teeth release her neck as he panted steadily. Each impact had her clench a little, and she heard a feral groan-or a growl, she wasn't quite sure what it was-waft into her ear. His fingers rolled her pert buds between them, and the wet sound of the soft slap of his hips against her ass would have put her to shame all over again if the returning pleasure hadn't been in the process of destroying her mind.

It was almost strange how the pain, the tenderness almost made it better. As long as he didn't thrust too hard, it left a violent tingling sensation that couldn't be replaced. It was enough to make her thighs part wider as he drove into her faster, and her hips angle up higher into him…or try to. His weight did a good job of holding her down as he pumped, grinding into her core while her palms gripped her chest.

Moaning without restraint as he hit the right spot, she felt him lift away, taking her with him as he guided her and brought her into his lap in an upright position. "Ride me." He grunted, leaving no room for debate as he forced her down onto his shaft roughly, and she squeaked, eyes flinching shut and oblivious to the grin he flashed at the noise she made.

Reluctantly, awkwardly she willed her hips to move up and down, finding the angle unfamiliar and strange until his hands wrapped around her lower back and held her to him. Hips moving hers into a rhythm, coaxing her to bounce on him.

He watched the expression of her face shift constantly, from pain to pleasure to uncertainty back to pleasure, with a bright pink stain on her cheeks. "So sensitive.." He murmured heatedly, smirking with heavy-lidded eyes. "And so tight." He puffed into her ear, pulling her against his chest again as she moved.

His hands drifted down her back and over her rump, squeezing her as he listened to the small, desperate noises she made for him. "Keep this up, and you're never going back to Konoha." He whispered in her ear. One hand trailed back up her spine and meshed into her damp pink locks, pulling her head back roughly and kissing along her throat. It was enough to still her movements, and she gave a startled moan when he pushed deeper inside her and held her there, letting the ache sink in and pulse in her depths as he laid claim to her, inside and out.

She felt the ground leave her momentarily, gravity shifting as she was turned and pressed against a tree trunk. Her back scraped long the bark as her thighs draped over him, and his hips pounded into her harder than before. Pinned between him and the tree and held off the ground, she was left to dangle with nothing to grab onto but him as she cried out.

Her nails dug into him as he ravaged her, and she could feel her clit throbbing even though nothing was touching it. His hips were rough and wild in their pace now, and her toes curled as she clutched to him. That feeling was returning…the electric, levitating feeling that made her weightless and full to the brim with buzzing energy. Each breath was audible and ragged, and his lips kissed and nipped feverishly at her neck and ear as he listened to her slip over the edge.

"Come on, Sakura...let me hear you." He growled into her ear, and on cue, she wailed loudly over his shoulder as she held onto him, her walls clenching around him as she lost control and shuddered.

The strength of her release caused him to groan and tighten his grip on her, hips slamming into her a few more time before he gushed inside her, and she felt the warmth flood through her as she gasped for breath, weakly clinging to him.

Sai's little mouse had been long forgotten by now. She couldn't even remember how much she hated the man holding her nude and abused form against the tree. The high was that good. If only it would last…

Whimpering softly as he pulled himself from her, a dribble of cum streaking her thigh, she watched with drunk eyes and burning cheeks as he stood and wandered a few paces over to his clothes to dress, taking his time as he moved. Her eyes traveled up his height, watching him almost in awe with every glistening muscle that flexed and twisted. Eventually he'd meet her gaze and pause, a lazy, amused grin flashing down at her.

"Hurry up, unless you wanna be carried back naked again."

Sakura winced at the memory, before crawling over to her pile of clothes and clumsily putting them on, feeling Kisame's eyes roving over her in return as she did. No sooner did she finish pulling the last article back on did she feel hands clasp her from behind and haul her up into the air. She let out a squeak as she was thrown over his shoulder, left to hang down his back and watch the ground passing by under them as he walked back towards camp. She was too weak to struggle or complain, and merely watched with a somewhat sad, defeated look as the dirty heap of ruined panties and chest bindings were left behind to litter the wet earth permanently.

How many times would they have to break her before she stopped trying to put the pieces back together?


End file.
